Re:Our brain is a prediction machine that is always active
by HarHarVeryFunny on Wednesday August 10, 2022 @12:58PM
(#32415147)
Having a mammalian cortex (or avian cortex equivalent) is what give you the ability the predict. The cortex is the prediction machine - capable of overriding our evolutionary-earlier reactionary behavior with planned behavior based on prediction.
The ability to predict is surely what drove development of the cortex, since the benefits are massive - allows you to know what comes next when you hear the roar of a tiger, or see a poisonous snake, or make a plan, rather than waiting until something bad is actually happening to you.
Parts of our cortex specialized to social behavior would have come later. I doubt bullshit generation/detection would have been a specific driver though! As girls attracted to "bad boys" attest, the urge to merge is far more basic than that.
The ability to predict is surely what drove development of the cortex, since the benefits are massive - allows you to know what comes next when you hear the roar of a tiger, or see a poisonous snake, or make a plan, rather than waiting until something bad is actually happening to you.
Parts of our cortex specialized to social behavior would have come later. I doubt bullshit generation/detection would have been a specific driver though! As girls attracted to "bad boys" attest, the urge to merge is far more basic than that.