`Toward an Scientific Framework for the Origin of Evolutionary Processes: Biological and Cultural

“建立进化过程起源的科学框架：生物和文化”

• 批准号: RGPIN-2019-05675
• 负责人: Gabora, Liane
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2019-01-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=682023
• 关键词: Toward; Scientific; Framework; Origin; Evolutionary

This research will explore how evolutionary processes get established using models that describe the origins of biological and cultural evolution, capturing their abstract structure. Although culture exhibits cumulative, adaptive, open-ended change, i.e., it evolves, there is no accepted theory of how it evolves. My team will mathematically model cognitive transitions underlying the emergence of cultural evolution, adapting a framework that is used to model the origin of life.***When catalytic molecules interact their diversity increases, and so does the probability that some subset reaches a critical point where there is a catalytic pathway to every member. This phase transition is referred to as autocatalytic closure because although no molecule self-catalyzes, they collectively catalyze each other. I posit a similar phase transition, referred to as conceptual closure, can explain emergence of the kind of cognitive structure that enabled complex culture, and that it involved two transitions.***The first was onset of the capacity for recursive restructuring of mental representations of knowledge and experience. This plays the role of catalytic reactions in origin of life models. It resulted in localized clusters of connectivity amongst representations nearby in semantic space.***The second transition was onset of the capacity to spontaneously shift between a convergent mode of thought conducive to rote tasks and a divergent mode conducive to insight. Divergent thought is modelled as increased reactivity amongst representations. It enables associations to form between semantically distant representations. This makes it inevitable that representations diversify and some subset reaches a critical point where there is a catalytic pathway' to every member. These two transitions resulted in the integrated cognitive structure that can evolve culture.***Since representations are compounds of concepts, to model reactions' between representations during recursive restructuring I will use an established theory of concept interactions that captures their contextual nature. It can also describe interference and entanglement, phenomena observed not just in quantum mechanics but in studies of how people use concepts.***My team will explain these transitions in terms of brain activity, drawing on recent findings in neuroscience. We will compare and contrast the origins of biological and cultural evolution. These processes present intriguing parallels and differences. We will develop an integrated theoretical framework for how evolutionary processes get established and abstract its algorithmic structure.***This research will help explain the uniquely human ability to evolve complex culture, and could help us recognize evolutionary processes elsewhere in the universe. Trainees will gain vast interdisciplinary knowledge and skills that enhance critical thinking and knowledge communication, preparing them to contribute in diverse and innovative ways to Canada's economy.

这项研究将探索如何使用描述生物和文化进化的起源的模型来建立进化过程，捕捉它们的抽象结构。尽管文化表现出累积的、适应性的、无限制的变化，即它的进化，但对于它是如何进化的，没有一个被接受的理论。我的团队将对文化进化出现背后的认知转变进行数学建模，采用一个用于模拟生命起源的框架。*当催化分子相互作用时，它们的多样性会增加，某个子集达到临界点的可能性也会增加，在那里有一条通往每个成员的催化路径。这种相变被称为自催化闭合，因为虽然没有分子自催化，但它们共同催化彼此。我假设了一个类似的阶段转变，称为概念闭合，可以解释促成复杂文化的那种认知结构的出现，它涉及两个转变。*第一个阶段是知识和经验的精神表征的递归重组能力的开始。这在生命起源模型中起到了催化反应的作用。它导致了语义空间中附近表征之间的局部连通性集群。*第二个转变是自发地在有利于死记硬背的思维模式和有利于洞察的发散模式之间进行转换的能力的开始。发散思维被建模为代表之间的反应性增加。它使语义上相距遥远的表示之间能够形成关联。这不可避免地导致表示形式多样化，一些子集达到一个临界点，在那里有一条通往每个成员的催化路径。这两个转变导致了可以进化文化的综合认知结构。*由于表征是概念的化合物，为了模拟递归重构过程中表征之间的反应，我将使用一个既定的概念相互作用理论来捕捉它们的语境性质。它还可以描述干涉和纠缠，这不仅是在量子力学中观察到的现象，也是在人们如何使用概念的研究中观察到的现象。*我的团队将利用神经科学的最新发现，从大脑活动的角度解释这些转变。我们将比较和对比生物进化和文化进化的起源。这些过程呈现出耐人寻味的相似之处和不同之处。我们将为进化过程如何建立建立一个完整的理论框架，并抽象其算法结构。*这项研究将有助于解释人类进化复杂文化的独特能力，并可能帮助我们认识宇宙中其他地方的进化过程。学员将获得丰富的跨学科知识和技能，以加强批判性思维和知识交流，为他们以多样化和创新的方式为加拿大经济做出贡献做好准备。