fractal intelligence - The idea that
intelligent systems
are defined by the
emergence of the
components that they are
composed
of, and can
participate as components of
higher-order intelligent systems
that exhibit
emergent behavior.
My claim: This is the framework that all "known and interesting" intelligent
systems work within.
Example fractal:
If we combine a few neurons into a neural net, we have a simple associative
processing system that can perform pattern recognition, associations, predictions,
etc.. All emergent behavior, not found in the neurons.
If we take a set of simple neural nets, using some networks as bridges (much
like the corpus collosum) and others as pattern recognition nets, associative
neural nets, etc..., we can produce complex processing systems that can recognize
and categorize objects (vision systems), sounds (auditory systems), predict
motion, momentum and generally do quite interesting things...
If we take these complex processing systems and combine them into networks
and produce even more substative processing systems that perform tasks such
as language recognition and categorization, object recognition and categorization,
etc..
Continuing this trend will lead us, eventually, to Language Centers, Optical
Lobes, Auditory Lobes, Spatial Processing, Reason Processing, Frontal Lobes,
etc..
Combining these, we get Cerebral Hemispheres, Corpus Collosums, R-Complexes,
Limbic Systems, ...
Combining these, we get People.
Combining these, we get Teams, Groups, Clubs, Packs, Gangs, etc..
Combining these, we get Companies, Mobs, Organizations, Beuracracies, etc..
Combining these, we get Consortiums, Alliances, Syndicates, etc...
Combining these, we get Industries, Political Parties, etc..
Combining these, we get Governments, Economies, etc..
Combining these, we get Towns, Cities (
urban metabolism), etc...
Combining these, we get Counties, States, etc...
Combining these, we get Countries...
Combining these, we get United Nations, International Trade Organizations,
NATO, Warsaw Pact, etc...
Combining these, we get Planetary Something or other???
Combining these hasn't been done yet ;-)
So, given all of that, why is it that we think "people" are so darned important.
We occupy only one part of the fractal, and not even a particularly important
part.
You and me sharing ideas is just a link in a longer chain of reasoning being performed by a high-order intelligence that we are components in. Got it?
Something worth mentioning, related to the sentance above: By virtue of the fact that these ideas are present and being discussed by all of us, we are prooving that the
intelligent system that we are collectively composing is in fact
sentient, because it is recognizing and questioning it's own nature.