Journey of the Mind

November 8, 2021
Neuroscientists Ogas and Gaddam follow up A Billion Wicked Thoughts with a mind-bending survey that traces “the journey of the mind from the aimless cycling of mud on a dark and barren Earth until the morning a mind woke up.” They examine consciousness and thought as manifested in 17 species, and kick things off with a study of archea, the “tiniest organism on Earth,” to examine how a mind “emerg from mindlessness” and to distinguish the “Big Three” forms of thinking: consciousness, language, and the self. They dig into the minds of bacteria (which have early blueprints for decision-making), flies (who have complex sensory networks), tortoises (who have a knack for identifying objects), and birds (whose calls shed light on the development of culture), before getting to humans, capable of language and writing. They conclude that consciousness is not an emergent property but rather “a specific mental innovation that arose to solve specific mental challenges.” The authors are at their strongest in breaking down early life-form growths and adaptations, but their conclusions that humans have developed a society-wide supermind, and that mathematics has “opened a gateway to another universe” are less convincing. Still, it’s an original take on the nature of consciousness that gives readers plenty to think about.

February 1, 2022
Two computational neuroscientists make a fascinating argument for a "hidden connectedness of all minds," from primitive bacteria to AI-enhanced human intelligence. What is "the mind," and how does it enable consciousness, language, and self-awareness? In carefully constructed chapters that build toward a unified theory of mind--a concept that scientists only recently developed the mathematical tools to explore--Ogas and Gaddam introduce 17 increasingly intelligent entities to demonstrate the incremental and awe-inspiring emergence of awareness and consciousness. For each of these "minds," the authors devise mental challenges and explain how the mind overcame them, a clever setup that draws readers into the surprisingly relatable drama of each scenario and enhances the authors' conversational (and equation-free) writing style. Their descriptive language is sharp and engaging, and the easy-to-understand illustrations demonstrate the concepts underpinning evolving conscious experience, such as a bacteria's interaction with the environment, the amoeba mind becoming aware of itself, and birdsong demonstrating culture. "Birdsong can...fuse the dynamics of two minds," write the authors, "empowering a couple to focus on joint purposes and enabling them to share similar perceptions of important situations." In later chapters, the authors explore "superminds," which gave rise to language, civilization, and the concept of the "self," and which continue to evolve as technology increases in sophistication and scope. Each of these examples bolsters their argument that "consciousness is a specific mental innovation that arose to solve specific mental challenges." Though the authors don't skimp on their analysis, that demystification may leave some readers wanting. Nonetheless, Ogas and Gaddam imbue every detail with awe and enthusiasm, a reminder to readers that the very science underpinning their theories is only possible because of the wondrous machinations of the human mind itself, a mind that likely has not reached its apotheosis. Packed with insight and astonishing in scope, this book offers an original perspective on thinking and consciousness.

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