Cognitive networks: brains, internet, and civilizations

TL;DR

This paper explores cognitive activity across neural networks, the internet, and civilizations, highlighting the heuristic value of comparative analysis for understanding complex systems at different scales.

Contribution

It proposes comparing neural, internet, and societal cognitive processes to gain insights, emphasizing the relevance of internet-based analogies over traditional neural comparisons.

Findings

Comparison with internet offers new heuristic insights.

Encoding and compression are key to understanding cognitive systems.

Cross-scale analysis reveals common features of cognition.

Abstract

In this short essay, we discuss some basic features of cognitive activity at several different space-time scales: from neural networks in the brain to civilizations. One motivation for such comparative study is its heuristic value. Attempts to better understand the functioning of "wetware" involved in cognitive activities of central nervous system by comparing it with a computing device have a long tradition. We suggest that comparison with Internet might be more adequate. We briefly touch upon such subjects as encoding, compression, and Saussurean trichotomy langue/langage/parole in various environments.