Clint Dawson

Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

Second Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Beulig, Alfred

Keywords

Neurobiology, Cognitive Evolution, Noösphere Model

Area of Concentration

Neurobiology

Abstract

Although several models of cognitive evolution have been proposed, the evolution of cognition is generally regarded to be a passive process driven by environmental forces, and the impact of cognition on its evolutionary trajectory is often not considered. In this work, a noöspheric model of cognitive evolution based on Kauffman’s NK network is proposed that views cognitive evolution as the process underlying the development of the noösphere. As the noösphere is a conceptual entity comprising the total information of a system, cognitive evolution will be considered as an information-gaining and connectivity-increasing process. The evolution of the nervous system is first developed with an emphasis on sensation, perception, and Umwelt expansion. Cognitive evolution is then analyzed at the societal level as language and technological evolution are discussed. Finally, the noöspheric model is integrated with Gaia theory and a potential global brain.

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