I don’t think this objection matters for the argument I’m making. All the cross-generational information channels you highlight are at rough saturation, so they’re not able to contribute to the cross-generational accumulation of capabilities-promoting information. Thus, the enormous disparity between the brain’s with-lifetime learning versus evolution cannot lead to a multiple OOM faster accumulation of capabilities as compared to evolution.
When non-genetic cross-generational channels are at saturation, the plot of capabilities-related info versus generation count looks like this:
with non-genetic information channels only giving the “All info” line a ~constant advantage over “Genetic info”. Non-genetic channels might be faster than evolution, but because they’re saturated, they only give each generation a fixed advantage over where they’d be with only genetic info. In contrast, once the cultural channel allows for an ever-increasing volume of transmitted information, then the vastly faster rate of within-lifetime learning can start contributing to the slope of the “All info” line, and not just its height.
Have you tried comparing the cumulative amount of genetic info over 3.5B years?
Isn’t it a big coincidence that the time of brains that process info quickly / increase information rapidly, is also the time where those brains are much more powerful than all other products of evolution?
(The obvious explanation in my view is that brains are vastly better optimizers/searchers per computation step, but I’m trying to make sure I understand your view.)
I don’t think this objection matters for the argument I’m making. All the cross-generational information channels you highlight are at rough saturation, so they’re not able to contribute to the cross-generational accumulation of capabilities-promoting information. Thus, the enormous disparity between the brain’s with-lifetime learning versus evolution cannot lead to a multiple OOM faster accumulation of capabilities as compared to evolution.
When non-genetic cross-generational channels are at saturation, the plot of capabilities-related info versus generation count looks like this:
with non-genetic information channels only giving the “All info” line a ~constant advantage over “Genetic info”. Non-genetic channels might be faster than evolution, but because they’re saturated, they only give each generation a fixed advantage over where they’d be with only genetic info. In contrast, once the cultural channel allows for an ever-increasing volume of transmitted information, then the vastly faster rate of within-lifetime learning can start contributing to the slope of the “All info” line, and not just its height.
Thus, humanity’s sharp left turn.
Hey Quintin thanks for the diagram.
Have you tried comparing the cumulative amount of genetic info over 3.5B years?
Isn’t it a big coincidence that the time of brains that process info quickly / increase information rapidly, is also the time where those brains are much more powerful than all other products of evolution?
(The obvious explanation in my view is that brains are vastly better optimizers/searchers per computation step, but I’m trying to make sure I understand your view.)