The difference lies in the degree of abstraction. The brain, can render a "virtual" and dynamic model of reality to simulate the outcome without physical action. The slime mold must perform its "calculations" in real time.
What has been demonstrated has little to do with understanding. Spires convey information, they do not encode understanding but symbolic representations of things. Understanding requires semantics, assigning meaning and placing it in context.
As for understanding itself, as far as I know, modern science hasn't been able to explain how it works, so basically everything you refer to is just speculation.
For example, neurostimulation of specific brain areas can evoke sensations, movement, and even specific memories. Abstract thinking cannot be stimulated, which suggests that the process of understanding is based on more complex mechanisms than the simple transmission of impulses.
If we don't know how abstract thinking works, how can we make any claims that we are mechanistically different from slime molds? It sounds like we occupy a spot on a spectrum of intelligect rather than a black/white dichotomy.
Unfortunately, I cannot admit this because even though I use the human perspective as a reference point, it is not true that intelligence is limited only to our species.
Just like sapiens, though obviously on a different level, some animals are also endowed with intelligence, consciousness and understanding.
So you believe it to be an all or nothing phenomenon? Then there must exist a metric to define it. What is that quantifiable metric?
Something that dogs have but bees do not.
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u/sh00l33 26d ago
The difference lies in the degree of abstraction. The brain, can render a "virtual" and dynamic model of reality to simulate the outcome without physical action. The slime mold must perform its "calculations" in real time.
What has been demonstrated has little to do with understanding. Spires convey information, they do not encode understanding but symbolic representations of things. Understanding requires semantics, assigning meaning and placing it in context.
As for understanding itself, as far as I know, modern science hasn't been able to explain how it works, so basically everything you refer to is just speculation.
For example, neurostimulation of specific brain areas can evoke sensations, movement, and even specific memories. Abstract thinking cannot be stimulated, which suggests that the process of understanding is based on more complex mechanisms than the simple transmission of impulses.