Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary field of study concerned with the development and use of computational models to investigate the mental processes involved in complex cognitive phenomena. It combines insights from the traditional disciplines of psychology, linguistics, computer science, neuroscience, and philosophy to explore the structure and functioning of the mind. It has given rise to many new ways of understanding the processes underlying human reasoning, decision-making and communication. By seeking to bridge fields of the humanities and sciences, cognitive science has provided a useful framework for understanding how the brain works.

See also: artificial intelligence, evolutionary computing, evolutionary psychology, emergence