(Note: All previous parts in the Complexity Explained series by Dr. Vinod Wadhawan can be accessed through the ‘Related Posts’ listed below the article.)

The human brain is a physical organ, governed by the laws of physics. The mind is ‘brain power,’ or the capacity of the brain to feel, think, and reason. The brain carries the mind, as well as what we often call consciousness (although we cannot tell where exactly in the brain is the so-called consciousness located). Our intelligence may be no different from ’swarm intelligence,’ the swarm here being that of neurons. There is a belief that the transition from intelligence to consciousness needs the acquisition of a human language. The ’society of mind’ (comprising of ‘communities’ of large numbers of interacting neurons) emerged as a hierarchical structure, so typical of any complex adaptive system. Consciousness is an emergent phenomenon.

16.1 Evolution of the Mammalian Brain

Any living entity exploits the existing structure and order of its surroundings to ensure its survival and reproduction. Consider a single-celled organism in a pond. On its surface are molecules which can ‘detect’ (are influenced by) the presence of nutrients. There is usually a gradient of the nutrient concentration, so that it is higher on one side of the organism than on the other. The single-celled organism has chemical sensors which can detect this gradient. Biological evolution has programmed it to propel itself in the direction of increasing concentration of nutrient. An attribute of intelligence is the problem-solving capacity of the system; other important attributes are prediction and memory capabilities. As Hawkins (2004) points out, both prediction and memory are involved here. The prediction is that, by moving in the direction of increasing concentration of nutrient, more nutrient will be found. This is not something the organism has ‘learnt’ and ‘remembered’ in its lifetime. The memory, evolved over many generations of evolution, is in its DNA. Read the full story