Communication for collaborative computation: two major transitions in human evolution

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Evolutionary Anthropology
• Linguistics

Background:

• Human uniqueness is often attributed to complex cognition and culture.
• Cumulative culture relies on the transmission of knowledge and skills across generations.
• Previous theories have not fully elucidated the computational underpinnings of human socio-cultural evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present theoretical arguments for collaborative computation as the defining feature of the human condition.
• To explore the role of instructive communication in enabling collaborative computation and cumulative culture.
• To identify key evolutionary transitions driven by the development of communication tools.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical argumentation and conceptual analysis.
• Review of existing literature on human evolution, cognition, and communication.
• Integration of concepts from cognitive science, anthropology, and linguistics.

Main Results:

• Human uniqueness stems from collaborative computation, the joint effort on shared computational challenges.
• Collaborative computation is facilitated by instructive communication, where instructions guide receivers' computations.
• Two major evolutionary transitions are identified: mimesis (representational gestures) and language (imagination-based computation).

Conclusions:

• Collaborative computation, enabled by instructive communication, is the bedrock of human cumulative cultures.
• The evolution of communication tools, from mimesis to language, progressively expanded the scope of collaborative computation.
• Understanding these transitions provides insight into human socio-cultural evolution.