Toward a formal theory of embodied cognition
Biosyst. January 30, 2021 R. Wallace 27 citations
Information theory and control theory can model embodied cognition without requiring time-reversal symmetry. An iterated Morse function provides a 'higher entropy' analog that follows Onsager-like nonequilibrium thermodynamics, but because palindromes are unlikely, reciprocal relations do not hold. Group symmetry-breaking in physical phase transitions appears as groupoids linked to high-probability developmental paths. The formalism yields the Yerkes-Dodson inverted-U relation and stochastic dynamics, and suggests a canonical approach to consciousness. Context is central to real-world cognition, contrary to Western cultural emphasis on individual salience over context.