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The Electrostatic Brain: How a Web of Neurons Generates the World-Simulation that is You

qri.org · 4,268 words · saved by 2 readers

The brain–the most celebrated human organ–allows for abstract reasoning, fine motor control, navigation of complex social environments, and, of course, learning. It is no wonder that natural selection has evolved this tool to best our fellow Darwinian competitors. Of all of these perks, one feature stands out as particularly evolutionarily useful: the ability to instantiate a real-time world simulation (Lehar 2010) as depicted in the image below. This world simulation is complex, immersive, and allows us to reason spatially in real-time, an enormously useful ability for survival (how else would you be able to duck under branches and leap over fallen trees while running away from predators in the jungle?). This simulation is so useful that evolution decided it was worth building a heavy, delicate, and calorically expensive machine (consuming around 20 watts! (Kováč 2010)) that requires charging 8 hours a day to run it. One of the most enjoyable ways to grasp the “simulationness” of your

The Electrostatic Brain: How a Web of Neurons Generates the World-Simulation that is You The Electrostatic Brain: How a Web of Neurons Generates the World-Simulation that is You Bijan Fakhri (Qualia Research Institute) https://www.qri.org/ , Chris Percy (Qualia Research Institute) https://www.qri.org/ , Andrés Gómez-Emilsson ../people/andrés-gómez-emilsson (Qualia Research Institute) https://www.qri.org/ Jul, 23 2024 TL;DR Part 1: Explores how the brain leverages the electromagnetic field to create a real-time world simulation through non-linear wave computing. Part 2: Demonstrates the explana

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