Technological Approach to Mind Everywhere: An Experimentally-Grounded Framework for Understanding Diverse Bodies and Minds

Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 16

Опубликована: Март 24, 2022

Synthetic biology and bioengineering provide the opportunity to create novel embodied cognitive systems (otherwise known as minds) in a very wide variety of chimeric architectures combining evolved designed material software. These advances are disrupting familiar concepts philosophy mind, require new ways thinking about comparing truly diverse intelligences, whose composition origin not like any available natural model species. In this Perspective, I introduce TAME-Technological Approach Mind Everywhere-a framework for understanding manipulating cognition unconventional substrates. TAME formalizes non-binary (continuous), empirically-based approach strongly agency. provides way think animal sentience an instance collective intelligence cell groups, arising from dynamics that manifest similar numerous other When applied regenerating/developmental systems, suggests perspective on morphogenesis example basal cognition. The deep symmetry between problem-solving anatomical, physiological, transcriptional, 3D (traditional behavioral) spaces drives specific hypotheses by which capacities can increase during evolution. An important medium exploited evolution joining active subunits into greater agents is developmental bioelectricity, implemented pre-neural use ion channels gap junctions scale up cell-level feedback loops anatomical homeostasis. This architecture multi-scale competency biological has implications plasticity bodies minds, greatly potentiating evolvability. Considering classical recent data perspectives computational science, evolutionary biology, cognition, reveals rich research program with many regenerative medicine, artificial intelligence.

Язык: Английский

---

Competency in Navigating Arbitrary Spaces as an Invariant for Analyzing Cognition in Diverse Embodiments

Entropy, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 24(6), С. 819 - 819

Опубликована: Июнь 12, 2022

One of the most salient features life is its capacity to handle novelty and namely thrive adapt new circumstances changes in both environment internal components. An understanding this central several fields: evolution form function, design effective strategies for biomedicine, creation novel forms via chimeric bioengineering technologies. Here, we review instructive examples living organisms solving diverse problems propose competent navigation arbitrary spaces as an invariant thinking about scaling cognition during evolution. We argue that our innate recognize agency intelligence unfamiliar guises lags far behind ability detect it familiar behavioral contexts. The multi-scale competency essential adaptive potentiating providing top-down control (not micromanagement) address complex disease injury. observer-focused viewpoint agnostic scale implementation, illustrating how pivoted similar explore exploit metabolic, transcriptional, morphological, finally 3D motion spaces. By generalizing concept behavior, gain perspectives on evolution, system-level biomedical interventions, construction bioengineered intelligences. This framework a first step toward relating highly embodiments, which will be progress artificial regenerative medicine thriving world increasingly populated by synthetic, bio-robotic, hybrid beings.

Язык: Английский

---

Darwin’s agential materials: evolutionary implications of multiscale competency in developmental biology

Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 80(6)

Опубликована: Май 8, 2023

Abstract A critical aspect of evolution is the layer developmental physiology that operates between genotype and anatomical phenotype. While much work has addressed mechanisms evolvability specific genetic architectures with emergent complexity, one not been sufficiently explored: implications morphogenetic problem-solving competencies for evolutionary process itself. The cells works are passive components: rather, they have numerous capabilities behavior because derive from ancestral unicellular organisms rich repertoires. In multicellular organisms, these must be tamed, can exploited, by process. Specifically, biological structures a multiscale competency architecture where cells, tissues, organs exhibit regulative plasticity—the ability to adjust perturbations such as external injury or internal modifications still accomplish adaptive tasks across metabolic, transcriptional, physiological, problem spaces. Here, I review examples illustrating how physiological circuits guiding cellular collective impart computational properties agential material serves substrate then explore ways in which intelligence during morphogenesis affect evolution, providing new perspective on search This key feature software life helps explain remarkable speed robustness sheds light relationship genomes functional phenotypes.

Язык: Английский

---

Collective intelligence: A unifying concept for integrating biology across scales and substrates

Communications Biology, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 7(1)

Опубликована: Март 28, 2024

Abstract A defining feature of biology is the use a multiscale architecture, ranging from molecular networks to cells, tissues, organs, whole bodies, and swarms. Crucially however, not only nested structurally, but also functionally: each level able solve problems in distinct problem spaces, such as physiological, morphological, behavioral state space. Percolating adaptive functionality one competent subunits higher functional organization requires collective dynamics: multiple components must work together achieve specific outcomes. Here we overview number biological examples at different scales which highlight ability cellular material make decisions that implement cooperation toward homeodynamic endpoints, intelligence by solving cell, tissue, whole-organism levels. We explore hypothesis province groups animals, an important symmetry exists between science swarms competencies cells other systems scales. then briefly outline implications this approach, possible impact tools field diverse for regenerative medicine synthetic bioengineering.

Язык: Английский

---

Life, death, and self: Fundamental questions of primitive cognition viewed through the lens of body plasticity and synthetic organisms

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Год журнала: 2020, Номер 564, С. 114 - 133

Опубликована: Ноя. 6, 2020

Язык: Английский

---

Living Things Are Not (20th Century) Machines: Updating Mechanism Metaphors in Light of the Modern Science of Machine Behavior

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 9

Опубликована: Март 16, 2021

One of the most useful metaphors for driving scientific and engineering progress has been that “machine.” Much controversy exists about applicability this concept in life sciences. Advances molecular biology have revealed numerous design principles can be harnessed to understand cells from an perspective, build novel devices rationally exploit laws chemistry, physics, computation. At same time, organicists point many unique features life, especially at larger scales organization, which resisted decomposition analysis artificial implementation. Here, we argue much debate focused on inessential aspects machines – classical properties surpassed by advances modern Machine Behavior no longer apply. This emerging multidisciplinary field, interface machine learning, synthetic bioengineering, is highlighting inadequacy existing definitions. Key terms such as machine, robot, program, software, evolved, designed, etc., need revised light technological theoretical moved past dated philosophical conceptions limited our understanding both evolved designed systems. Moving beyond contingent historical current will enable conceptual tools embrace inevitable hybrid bioengineering computer science, toward a framework identifies essential distinctions between fundamental concepts living agents. Progress theory practical applications requires establishment conception “machines they could be,” based profound lessons all scales. We sketch perspective acknowledges remarkable, help re-define key terms, identify deep, future sharp boundaries systems not exist.

Язык: Английский

---

Endless forms most beautiful 2.0: teleonomy and the bioengineering of chimaeric and synthetic organisms

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 139(4), С. 457 - 486

Опубликована: Июль 14, 2022

Abstract The rich variety of biological forms and behaviours results from one evolutionary history on Earth, via frozen accidents selection in specific environments. This ubiquitous baggage natural, familiar model species obscures the plasticity swarm intelligence cellular collectives. Significant gaps exist our understanding origin anatomical novelty, relationship between genome form, strategies for control large-scale structure function regenerative medicine bioengineering. Analysis living that have never existed before is necessary to reveal deep design principles life as it can be. We briefly review existing examples chimaeras, cyborgs, hybrots other beings along spectrum containing evolved designed systems. To drive experimental progress multicellular synthetic morphology, we propose teleonomic (goal-seeking, problem-solving) behaviour diverse problem spaces a powerful invariant across possible regardless composition or origin. Cybernetic perspectives chimaeric morphogenesis erase artificial distinctions established by past limitations technology imagination. suggest multi-scale competency architecture facilitates evolution robust problem-solving, machines. Creation analysis novel will be an essential testbed emerging field intelligence, with numerous implications medicine, robotics ethics.

Язык: Английский

---

The collective intelligence of evolution and development

Collective Intelligence, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 2(2), С. 263391372311683 - 263391372311683

Опубликована: Апрель 1, 2023

Collective intelligence and individual are usually considered to be fundamentally different. Individual is uncontroversial. It occurs in organisms with special neural machinery, evolved by natural selection enable cognitive learning functions that serve the fitness benefit of organism, then trained through lifetime experience maximise rewards. Whilst mechanisms not fully understood, good models exist for many aspects cognition learning. intelligence, contrast, a much more ambiguous idea. What exactly constitutes collective often vague, might it frequently domain-specific. These cannot selected specifically purpose because collectives (except circumstances) evolutionary units, clear can learn way intelligences do since they singular locus rewards benefits. Here, we use examples from evolution developmental morphogenesis argue these apparent distinctions as categorical appear. Breaking down such enables us borrow expand existing framework particular connectionist familiar context networks. We discuss how specific features inform necessary sufficient conditions identify current knowledge gaps opportunities future research.

Язык: Английский

---

Balancing limited resources in actin network competition

Current Biology, Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Янв. 1, 2025

Язык: Английский

---

Domains and Major Transitions of Social Evolution

Oxford University Press eBooks, Год журнала: 2022, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Ноя. 3, 2022

Abstract Evolutionary change is usually incremental and continuous, but some increases in organizational complexity have been radical divisive. biologists, who refer to such events as “major transitions,” not always appreciated that these advances were novel forms of pairwise commitment subjugated previously independent agents. Inclusive fitness theory convincingly explains cooperation conflict societies animals free-living cells, deserve its eminent status it should also capture how major transitions originated: from prokaryote cells eukaryote via differentiated multicellularity, colonies with specialized queen worker castes. As yet, no attempt has made apply inclusive principles the origins events. Domains Major Transitions Social Evolution develops idea evolutionary involved new levels informational closure moved beyond looser partnerships. Early neo-Darwinians understood this principle, later social gradient thinking obscured discontinuity life’s fundamental transitions. The author argues required maximal kinship simple ancestors—not reduction already elaborate societies. Reviewing more than a century literature, he makes testable predictions, proposing open closed organisms require very different explanations. It appears only human ancestors lived complex before our cultural transition occurred. We therefore impose trajectory own history on rest nature. This thought-provoking text suitable for graduate-level students taking courses biology, behavioral ecology, organismal developmental genetics, well professional researchers fields. will appeal broader, interdisciplinary audience, including sciences humanities. Jacobus J. Boomsma Professor Ecology at University Copenhagen.

Язык: Английский

---