New Theory: Consciousness Evolved to Solve Problems Pure Intelligence Couldn't Handle
rjhaier · x · 2026-09-24
Cognitive scientist Jeff Stibel publishes a theory in Frontiers in Neuroscience arguing consciousness is not the top rung of intelligence but evolved to resolve competing survival needs: cognition handles uncertainty, while the regulatory processes underlying consciousness manage conflicting demands. The paper grew from years of discussions with his late mentor Dan Dennett and offers testable hypotheses.
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