Cognitive networks: brains, internet, and civilizations
This is an incremental essay that explores heuristic comparisons for cognitive science, with no specific problem or audience defined.
The paper compares cognitive activities across scales from neural networks to civilizations, suggesting that the Internet is a more adequate comparison than computing devices for understanding brain function, and touches on encoding, compression, and linguistic concepts.
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.