Project: Difference between revisions
Created page with "== Thinking About Minds == I’m interested in getting to grips with four main things: * How did life evolve up to the point of producing human brains (13.4bn ya to 40,000 ya) * How did human culture develop to bring us to the current day * How do we interpret and interact with the world via our brains * Where are we going now (with a particular focus on screens, democracy, AI, and climate change) == Big Bang to Brains == How did the universe begin, how did life evolv..." |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 9: | Line 9: | ||
== Big Bang to Brains == | == Big Bang to Brains == | ||
=== 13.4bn ya: The Big Bang and the Birth of the Universe === | |||
The Big Bang is, we presume, the cataclysmic event that gave birth to the universe. In an instant, all the energy and matter of the universe were concentrated into an infinitely small point, and then began to expand and cool, leading to the formation of atoms of the first, lightest, atoms - primarily hydrogen and helium and maybe some lithium. | |||
Over millions of years, gravity caused these atoms to come together in vast gas clouds that eventually ignited to create the first stars. The stars forged heavier elements in their cores. These elements, like carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen are the building blocks of life and, when these stars died, they exploded in spectacular supernovae, scattering the elements across the cosmos. | |||
=== 4.6bn ya: Formation of Planets and the Emergence of Life === | |||
About 4.6 billion years ago, our solar system formed from a cloud of gas and dust left over from previous generations of stars. At the center of this swirling cloud, the sun ignited, and the remaining material coalesced to form the planets, including Earth. | |||
=== 3.8bn ya: Emergence of Life on Earth === | |||
The mechanisms through which life emerged on Earthare still debated, but we believe that simple organic molecules formed in the primordial oceans and eventually self-assembled into the first self-replicating structures. These early life forms were simple, single-celled organisms, but they were the ancestors of all life on Earth today. | |||
=== 540m ya: The Cambrian Explosion === | |||
For billions of years, life on Earth remained relatively simple. But then, about 540 million years ago, a burst of evolutionary innovation known as the Cambrian explosion occurred. During this period, a remarkable diversity of multicellular organisms appeared, with complex body plans and new features like eyes and skeletons. | |||
Over the next hundreds of millions of years, life continued to evolve and diversify, driven by natural selection. Fish evolved into amphibians, amphibians into reptiles, and reptiles into birds and mammals. | |||
=== 65m ya: The Rise of Mammals and Primates === | |||
About 65 million years ago, a mass extinction event wiped out the dinosaurs, paving the way for the rise of mammals, which diversified rapidly, evolving into a wide range of forms, from whales to bats to primates. | |||
Primates, which include monkeys, apes, and humans, evolved about 55 million years ago, and started as small, tree-dwelling creatures with grasping hands and feet, and forward-facing eyes that provided depth perception. | |||
=== 6m ya: The Emergence of Humans === | |||
The human lineage diverged from the chimpanzee lineage about 6-7 million years ago. The first hominins, the group that includes humans and our extinct ancestors, were bipedal, an adaptation that freed their hands for other tasks, such as carrying objects and using tools. | |||
Over millions of years, hominin brains gradually increased in size and complexity. This increase in brain size was accompanied by the development of new cognitive abilities, such as language, abstract thought, and problem-solving. | |||
=== 300k ya: Homo Sapiens / Modern Humans === | |||
Homo sapiens appeared about 300,000 years ago. We are characterized by our large brains, complex language abilities, and capacity for symbolic thought, and are the only hominin species that has survived to the present day. | |||
Our brains contain the most complex structures in the known universe, with about 86 billion neurons, each connected to thousands of other neurons, forming a vast network that allows us to perceive the world around us, learn and remember information, and engage in complex thought and behavior. | |||
Several factors are believed to have contributed to the evolution of the human brain, including: | |||
* Bipedalism - Walking on two legs freed our hands and allowed for the development of tool use, which in turn stimulated brain development. | |||
* Diet - A shift towards a more meat-rich diet provided the extra energy needed to fuel a larger brain. | |||
* Social interaction - Living in complex social groups required advanced cognitive abilities, such as recognizing individuals, understanding social hierarchies, and cooperating with others. | |||
* Language - The development of language allowed for more complex communication and the transmission of knowledge across generations. | |||
== Stones to Screens == | == Stones to Screens == | ||
Revision as of 16:58, 3 January 2025
Thinking About Minds
I’m interested in getting to grips with four main things:
- How did life evolve up to the point of producing human brains (13.4bn ya to 40,000 ya)
- How did human culture develop to bring us to the current day
- How do we interpret and interact with the world via our brains
- Where are we going now (with a particular focus on screens, democracy, AI, and climate change)
Big Bang to Brains
13.4bn ya: The Big Bang and the Birth of the Universe
The Big Bang is, we presume, the cataclysmic event that gave birth to the universe. In an instant, all the energy and matter of the universe were concentrated into an infinitely small point, and then began to expand and cool, leading to the formation of atoms of the first, lightest, atoms - primarily hydrogen and helium and maybe some lithium.
Over millions of years, gravity caused these atoms to come together in vast gas clouds that eventually ignited to create the first stars. The stars forged heavier elements in their cores. These elements, like carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen are the building blocks of life and, when these stars died, they exploded in spectacular supernovae, scattering the elements across the cosmos.
4.6bn ya: Formation of Planets and the Emergence of Life
About 4.6 billion years ago, our solar system formed from a cloud of gas and dust left over from previous generations of stars. At the center of this swirling cloud, the sun ignited, and the remaining material coalesced to form the planets, including Earth.
3.8bn ya: Emergence of Life on Earth
The mechanisms through which life emerged on Earthare still debated, but we believe that simple organic molecules formed in the primordial oceans and eventually self-assembled into the first self-replicating structures. These early life forms were simple, single-celled organisms, but they were the ancestors of all life on Earth today.
540m ya: The Cambrian Explosion
For billions of years, life on Earth remained relatively simple. But then, about 540 million years ago, a burst of evolutionary innovation known as the Cambrian explosion occurred. During this period, a remarkable diversity of multicellular organisms appeared, with complex body plans and new features like eyes and skeletons.
Over the next hundreds of millions of years, life continued to evolve and diversify, driven by natural selection. Fish evolved into amphibians, amphibians into reptiles, and reptiles into birds and mammals.
65m ya: The Rise of Mammals and Primates
About 65 million years ago, a mass extinction event wiped out the dinosaurs, paving the way for the rise of mammals, which diversified rapidly, evolving into a wide range of forms, from whales to bats to primates.
Primates, which include monkeys, apes, and humans, evolved about 55 million years ago, and started as small, tree-dwelling creatures with grasping hands and feet, and forward-facing eyes that provided depth perception.
6m ya: The Emergence of Humans
The human lineage diverged from the chimpanzee lineage about 6-7 million years ago. The first hominins, the group that includes humans and our extinct ancestors, were bipedal, an adaptation that freed their hands for other tasks, such as carrying objects and using tools.
Over millions of years, hominin brains gradually increased in size and complexity. This increase in brain size was accompanied by the development of new cognitive abilities, such as language, abstract thought, and problem-solving.
300k ya: Homo Sapiens / Modern Humans
Homo sapiens appeared about 300,000 years ago. We are characterized by our large brains, complex language abilities, and capacity for symbolic thought, and are the only hominin species that has survived to the present day.
Our brains contain the most complex structures in the known universe, with about 86 billion neurons, each connected to thousands of other neurons, forming a vast network that allows us to perceive the world around us, learn and remember information, and engage in complex thought and behavior.
Several factors are believed to have contributed to the evolution of the human brain, including:
- Bipedalism - Walking on two legs freed our hands and allowed for the development of tool use, which in turn stimulated brain development.
- Diet - A shift towards a more meat-rich diet provided the extra energy needed to fuel a larger brain.
- Social interaction - Living in complex social groups required advanced cognitive abilities, such as recognizing individuals, understanding social hierarchies, and cooperating with others.
- Language - The development of language allowed for more complex communication and the transmission of knowledge across generations.
Stones to Screens
Once the modern human brains was in place, how did we come to construct the societies where we are today.
Minds
What is consciousness? How do we understand and interact with the world
The Future
Is a future of progress assured? Will AI help or destroy us? Are we slowly being ushered into a matrix-like state?