Cognition is an emergent property

2024/04/16 by Earl K. Miller, Scott L. Brincat, Jefferson E. Roy · 2 voices · 31 citations
Engineering · Mathematics · Neuroscience · Psychology · #Advanced Memory and Neural Computing #Algorithm #Artificial intelligence #Coding (social sciences) #Cognition #Cognitive science #Computation #Computer science #EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces #Epistemology #Mathematics #Neural activity #Neural coding #Neural dynamics and brain function #Neuroscience #Population #Property (philosophy) #Psychology #Sociology #Subspace topology

paper · doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2024.101388

published in Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences 57, 101388 (Elsevier BV)

openalex publication_date 2024/04/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/13

Abstract

Cognition relies on the flexible organization of neural activity. In this discussion, we explore how many aspects of this organization can be described as emergent properties, not reducible to their constituent parts. We discuss how electrical fields in the brain can serve as a medium for propagating activity nearly instantaneously, and how population-level patterns of neural activity can organize computations through subspace coding.

Citations

• State-space trajectories and traveling waves following distraction

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• Probabilistic Cognitive State Modeling (PCSM): Decoding dynamic brain states to derive emergent cognitive processing properties from task fMRI. [europepmc]
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Discussions

• 𝗖𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 by Earl K Miller, Scott L Brincat, Jefferson E Roy This promises to be a must read One day we should create an online journal club to ju [bsky, 138 points, 11 comments]
• Here's a short review that ties ephaptic coupling to cognition. doi.org/10.1016/j.co... [bsky, 9 points, 1 comments]

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