In nature, simple rules give rise to complex behavior. A single ant follows pheromone trails, but an ant colony collectively optimizes food-gathering strategies, adjusts to environmental changes, and builds intricate structures—none of which any individual ant understands. Intelligence emerges not from a single unit, but from the interactions betwe... See more

the brain likely evolved to deal with the informational complexity of navigating and coordinating social relationships. If that’s true, she said, cognitive neuroscience that ignores sociality is probably pointless.