Studies in Language, Information, Meaning and Expression
September 18–19, 2026 • UCLA

Time: Sept. 18–19, 2026
Location: Royce Hall 314

Faculty organizers: Joshua Armstrong, Sam Cumming, and Gabriel Greenberg
Events coordinator: Ashna Madni

All are welcome, but please RSVP if possible! [RSVP form]

Format: The conference is “pre-view”: recorded talks will be available ahead of time. Discussion is led by a commentator (20 min), followed by replies from the speaker (20 min) and Q+A (60 min).

Pre-view expectation: We ask that all attendees view or read the talks prior to the day when they are being discussed. Thank you!

Friday, Sept. 18

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Coffee & Continental Breakfast

10:00 AM – 11:40 AM
Shane Steinert-Threlkeld, “Language Models as Model ‘Organisms’” [video]
Commentator: Kate Stanton

11:40 AM – 1:00 PM
Lunch

1:00 PM – 2:40 PM
Cristina Moya, “How & Why Do Collective Rituals Emerge?” [video] [paper]
Commentator: Hayley Clatterbuck

3:00 PM – 4:40 PM
Kristin Andrews, “Varieties of Rules in Animal Societies” [video]
Commentator: Kenny Galbraith

Saturday, Sept. 19

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Coffee & Continental Breakfast

10:00 AM – 11:40 AM
Richard Moore, “A Simple, Multi-Species Mechanism for Intentional Communication (and its Development)” [video]
Commentator: Shannon Spaulding

11:40 AM – 1:00 PM
Lunch

1:00 PM – 2:40 PM
Kathryn Davidson, “Perceptual Modality, Iconicity, and Creating Reference” [video part 1, part 2]
Commentator: Kevin Lande

3:00 PM – 4:40 PM
Catherine Crockford, “Assessing Meaning in Primate Vocalisations” [video]
Commentator: Colin Allen

Speakers

Commentators

Kristin Andrews [website]
Professor of Philosophy, CUNY Graduate Center

Kenny Galbraith [website]
Doctoral student, Philosophy, University of California, Los Angeles

Catherine Crockford [website]
Director of Research, Institut des Sciences Cognitives (CNRS), Lyon, and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig

Colin Allen [website]
Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Santa Barbara

Kathryn Davidson [website]
Professor of Linguistics, Harvard University

Kevin Lande [website]
Associate Professor and York Research Chair in Philosophy of Representation, York University

Richard Moore [website]
Professor of Philosophy, University of Warwick

Shannon Spaulding [website]
Professor of Philosophy, Oklahoma State University

Cristina Moya [website]
Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Davis

Hayley Clatterbuck [website]
Visiting Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Los Angeles; Senior Researcher, Rethink Priorities

Shane Steinert-Threlkeld [website]
Associate Professor of Linguistics, University of Washington

Kate Stanton [website]
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh

SLIME is made possible through the generosity of the Kaplan-Panzer fund.

In case of technical issues, please email Ashna Madni at ashnamadni@humnet.ucla.edu.