What if growing bigger, more connected brains is the next evolutionary step? Doesn't seem entirely unreasonable to me.
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Brain Hyperconnectivity in Children with Autism and Its Links to Social Deficits (2013)
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Re: Brain Hyperconnectivity in Children with Autism and Its Links to Social Deficits (2013)
#22What if growing bigger, more connected brains is the next evolutionary step? Doesn't seem entirely unreasonable to me.
Over-excitation tends to create more redundant, less synergistic information in networks. The balance between excitation and inhibition is thought by some to be requisite for efficient and flexible cognition.
Ahh yes in other words adderall/caffeine and weed.
Re: Brain Hyperconnectivity in Children with Autism and Its Links to Social Deficits (2013)
#23What if growing bigger, more connected brains is the next evolutionary step? Doesn't seem entirely unreasonable to me.
This is like assuming that cancer is good? More cells, better body? This is just a hypothetical counter-argument. More connectivity could be better, "more intelligent", and autism seems to be "cool" among nerds for this reason. But maybe it's just a fallacy, just a way to pretend to be something better. Again, all hypothetical. Yesterday I listened to a podcast episode about bird brains [0]. That some birds have a wa…
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Re: Brain Hyperconnectivity in Children with Autism and Its Links to Social Deficits (2013)
#24What if growing bigger, more connected brains is the next evolutionary step? Doesn't seem entirely unreasonable to me.
This is like assuming that cancer is good? More cells, better body? This is just a hypothetical counter-argument. More connectivity could be better, "more intelligent", and autism seems to be "cool" among nerds for this reason. But maybe it's just a fallacy, just a way to pretend to be something better. Again, all hypothetical. Yesterday I listened to a podcast episode about bird brains [0]. That some birds have a wa…
This is an interesting take, along the line of elephants who need a huge brain mainly to actuate their trunk.
Re: Brain Hyperconnectivity in Children with Autism and Its Links to Social Deficits (2013)
#25Re: Brain Hyperconnectivity in Children with Autism and Its Links to Social Deficits (2013)
#26What if growing bigger, more connected brains is the next evolutionary step? Doesn't seem entirely unreasonable to me.
Well, there are plusses and minuses. At a certain level of size, connectedness, and semi-specialization, you get (what we label) consciousness.
It's not just size, but there is some bare minimum of nodes. It's not just pure contentedness. That's just noise. It's not just specialization. It helps with speed, but you lose plasticity and adaptability.
Also, there's a physical limit with respect to growth speed 'cuz cancer and sustainable metabolic rates wrt food intake, digestive efficiency, and thermoregulation. It seems the shrews and moles have "hacked" that in very different ways.
There's also a physical limit with brain size for live births--which we're already really, really pushing.
Honestly, I would've thought the most intelligent species would use eggs to minimize the trauma/risk of live-births to both child and mother, but I guess mother's milk is so beneficial it makes up for all of that.
Re: Brain Hyperconnectivity in Children with Autism and Its Links to Social Deficits (2013)
#27What if growing bigger, more connected brains is the next evolutionary step? Doesn't seem entirely unreasonable to me.
Is there a survival and reproduction advantage from that?
> Is there a survival and reproduction advantage from that?
Low-grade autism is overrepresented in Silicon Valley. That wealth absolutely confers a reproductive advantage.
Re: Brain Hyperconnectivity in Children with Autism and Its Links to Social Deficits (2013)
#28What if growing bigger, more connected brains is the next evolutionary step? Doesn't seem entirely unreasonable to me.
What do you mean by "next"? Evolution doesn't have a plan. It'd be more adapted for some things and less for others.
For evolution it means next known retrospectively. Naturally.
Those with hyperconnectivity not evoking social dysfunction (some dots in the charts) may become a potential step in evolution in a society not supressing evolution. And in a post Trump world of course where intelligence and the ability of collaboration for common good (needs social skills) is beneficial again.
Re: Brain Hyperconnectivity in Children with Autism and Its Links to Social Deficits (2013)
#29What if growing bigger, more connected brains is the next evolutionary step? Doesn't seem entirely unreasonable to me.
What do you mean by "next"? Evolution doesn't have a plan. It'd be more adapted for some things and less for others.
It's not a plan at this point, it already happened.
Re: Brain Hyperconnectivity in Children with Autism and Its Links to Social Deficits (2013)
#30Earlier quoted context omitted.
Over-excitation tends to create more redundant, less synergistic information in networks. The balance between excitation and inhibition is thought by some to be requisite for efficient and flexible cognition.
Ahh yes in other words adderall/caffeine and weed.
Aka hippie speedball :)