Douglas R. Hofstadter is an American scholar and author best known for his work in the fields of cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and philosophy of mind. Born on February 15, 1945, Hofstadter's interdisciplinary research often explores the sense of "I" or consciousness and the ways in which it can arise from seemingly simple operations. Hofstadter achieved broad recognition for his 1979 book "Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid," commonly abbreviated as GEB. This Pulitzer Prize-winning book examines the deep connections between the art of M.C. Escher, the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, and the mathematics of Kurt Gödel, intertwining themes of patterns, symbols, and human cognition. His work often features a playful exploration of self-reference and recursion, qualities he sees as fundamental to human thought and creativity. Hofstadter is also known for books such as "Metamagical Themas," "The Mind's I" (co-authored with Daniel C. Dennett), "Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies," and "I Am a Strange Loop," all of which delve into various aspects of consciousness, perception, and creativity. He held positions in academia, including a longtime professorship at Indiana University in cognitive science and comparative literature.