Universe a big brain

[atanu]

Astrophysicists find similarities between the structures and processes of the human brain and the cosmic web.

I wonder. Human brain appears from the third person’s view a web of neurones but first person experience is of existence-awareness. What about the cosmic web?

The universe works like a huge human brain, discover scientists

...

 

[Darkstorn]

I think it's a form of pareidolia. But even so, who gets to decide whether or not it's the universe looking like a brain, or the brain looking like the universe.

But sadly, the only real implication is that things might look or feel similar to other things. Taking it beyond that involves wishful thinking.

TLDR: I don't think the universe is a brain. I think the brain looks like something in this universe.

 

[exchemist]

Astrophysicists find similarities between the structures and processes of the human brain and the cosmic web.

Human brain appears from the third person’s view a web of neurones but first person experience is of existence-awareness. What about the cosmic web?

The universe works like a huge human brain, discover scientists

...

Bad headline. What has been discovered is that the universe in its large-scale structure resembles aspects of the structure of the brain.

Structure, not function.

(Sometimes I wish these pop-sci mags would just go out of business. They try to make science exciting to the layman but at the cost of utterly misleading their readers.)

 

[atanu]

Bad headline. What has been discovered is that the universe in its large-scale structure resembles aspects of the structure of the brain.

Structure, not function.

(Sometimes I wish these pop-sci mags would just go out of business. They try to make science exciting to the layman but at the cost of utterly misleading their readers.)

Thank you for your valuable inputs. Below is the link to the original paper.

The Quantitative Comparison Between the Neuronal Network and the Cosmic Web

The abstract reads as below:

We investigate the similarities between two of the most challenging and complex systems in Nature: the network of neuronal cells in the human brain, and the cosmic network of galaxies. We explore the structural, morphological, network properties and the memory capacity of these two fascinating systems, with a quantitative approach. In order to have an homogeneous analysis of both systems, our procedure does not consider the true neural connectivity but an approximation of it, based on simple proximity. The tantalizing degree of similarity that our analysis exposes seems to suggest that the self-organization of both complex systems is likely being shaped by similar principles of network dynamics, despite the radically different scales and processes at play.
...

The authors highlight similarities of self organising capacities and principles of network dynamics.

 

[Darkstorn]

That doesn't refute anything he said. You're just assuming we didn't read the article. I read the whole thing and I say your reply doesn't address anything.

/e: Key words: similar principles of network dynamics.

Also stupid phone messes up my replies.

 

[exchemist]

Below is the link to the original paper.

The Quantitative Comparison Between the Neuronal Network and the Cosmic Web

The abstract reads as below:

We investigate the similarities between two of the most challenging and complex systems in Nature: the network of neuronal cells in the human brain, and the cosmic network of galaxies. We explore the structural, morphological, network properties and the memory capacity of these two fascinating systems, with a quantitative approach. In order to have an homogeneous analysis of both systems, our procedure does not consider the true neural connectivity but an approximation of it, based on simple proximity. The tantalizing degree of similarity that our analysis exposes seems to suggest that the self-organization of both complex systems is likely being shaped by similar principles of network dynamics, despite the radically different scales and processes at play.
...

Exactly. It is about network dynamics shaping both: how the structure evolves.

Not anything about the universe "thinking" or anything like that.

 

[atanu]

Exactly. It is about network dynamics shaping both: how the structure evolves.

Not anything about the universe "thinking" or anything like that.

Surely not. The paper is not about that. The query about third person view and the first person subjective reality (?) is mine. I have done a small edit in the OP to reflect this.

 

[WalterTrull]

Reflections are everywhere. Hard to recognize sometimes.

 

[exchemist]

That doesn't refuted anything he said. You're just assuming we didn't read the article. I read the whole thing and I say your reply doesn't address anything.

Yes this article came up a few days ago and I read it then. I don't actually think it gives much new insight, apart from observing similarities in network structure. Someone else will need to pick this up and do some modelling or something, it seems to me, to see if there is any good reason for the similarity.

 

[exchemist]

Surely not. The paper is not about that. The query about third person view and the first person subjective reality (?) is mine. I have done a small edit in the OP to reflect this.

Ah, well that changes the thrust of the OP quite a bit.

 

[atanu]

Ah, well that changes the thrust of the OP quite a bit.

The post is in Science and Religion forum.

 

[atanu]

Reflections are everywhere. Hard to recognize sometimes.

Kindly explain.

 

[exchemist]

The post is in Science and Religion forum.

Er, yes??

But OK, no sweat, you change the OP and we can back to square one and think what we can say about the new version.

 

[MNoBody]

given that man is child of the universe, in a sense, it is no strange thing that we would resemble it in many ways.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Astrophysicists find similarities between the structures and processes of the human brain and the cosmic web.

I wonder. Human brain appears from the third person’s view a web of neurones but first person experience is of existence-awareness. What about the cosmic web?

The universe works like a huge human brain, discover scientists

...

Despite what the naysayers say, it is very striking how the universe looks just like neural networks. It's fascinating and awe-inspiring.

 

[exchemist]

Despite what the naysayers say, it is very striking how the universe looks just like neural networks. It's fascinating and awe-inspiring.

There are no such naysayers on this thread.

The universe may well "look like" a neural network.

But, er, that's it.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

There are no such naysayers on this thread.

The universe may well "look like" a neural network.

But, er, that's it.

That's nice.

 

[Polymath257]

If you can actually show information transfer along the networks in the cosmological context, then you might have something.

Don't hold your breath.

 

[Secret Chief]

Maybe this is a node? (also available in black)
Metal monolith found by helicopter crew in Utah desert

 

[Watchmen]

Sometimes I wonder if we’re just amoebas under the microscope of some other form of life we don’t even perceive.