Introduction: Reframing Cognition

• The paper argues that cognitive science should be approached like other life sciences – by starting with the simplest organisms and then scaling up to complex ones.
• It proposes that even the smallest life forms (like bacteria) show basic cognitive functions such as sensing, memory, learning, decision making, and communication.
• This approach is termed basal cognition, meaning the foundational, early-evolved methods by which living organisms interact with their environment.
• Analogy: Think of it as learning to cook by first mastering simple recipes before tackling a gourmet meal.

Ion Channels: A Proof-of-Concept Case Study

• Ion channels are proteins that help move charged particles (ions) across cell membranes – crucial for generating electrical signals.
• Originally studied in nerve cells, similar channels are found in bacteria, where they play a role in coordinating group behavior (biofilms).
• Key Findings:
  • Bacteria use potassium ion channels to send electrical distress signals within a biofilm, much like a neighborhood alert system.
  • These signals help cells coordinate growth and survival under nutrient stress.
  • The behavior is reminiscent of how neurons communicate in a brain, suggesting an evolutionary link.
• Metaphor: Imagine a group text message where everyone gets alerted to share resources when supplies run low.

Reviving a Dormant Darwinian Program

• The paper revives Darwin’s idea that complex mental faculties evolved gradually from simple beginnings.
• Historical research on microbes showed that even single-celled organisms can display behaviors once thought exclusive to animals.
• This supports the idea that cognition did not suddenly appear with brains; instead, it has deep evolutionary roots.
• Definition: Cognition here means the way an organism processes environmental information to decide on actions that ensure survival, growth, and reproduction.
• Analogy: It is like upgrading from a basic flip phone to a smartphone—the fundamental communication is the same but becomes more sophisticated over time.

What Do We Mean by “Cognition”?

• There is no single agreed-upon definition of cognition, but the paper offers a working definition based on biological function.
• Cognition involves mechanisms for acquiring, processing, storing, and using information from the environment.
• Key components include sensing, memory, learning, decision making, and communication.
• Important Note: The term “information” is defined as any environmental change that triggers a physiological or behavioral response.
• Metaphor: Think of an organism as a tiny computer that constantly receives input, processes it, and then “decides” what to do next.

Basal Cognition: Approach, Toolkit, and Mechanisms

• Approach: Study the simplest organisms to uncover fundamental cognitive capacities before examining complex brains.
• Toolkit: The cognitive toolkit includes basic capacities such as:
  • Sensing the environment
  • Storing and recalling past experiences (memory)
  • Learning from interactions
  • Making decisions and communicating
• Example: Bacteria use quorum sensing to coordinate behavior – they secrete chemical signals that help them “talk” to each other when a critical number is reached.
• This demonstrates that even without neurons, life forms have built-in methods to process information and make decisions.
• Analogy: It is like a team where each member sends a quick text alert so the whole team can act together.

The Structure of the Research Collection

• The paper is part of a larger theme issue that groups articles by similar topics:
• Conceptual tools and organizing principles that apply across all life forms.
• Studies of single-celled organisms to reveal the origins of cognitive functions.
• Examinations of multicellular coordination in plants and animals.
• This structure underlines the idea that the same basic principles of cognition exist from bacteria to humans.

Opening the Future

• Understanding basal cognition has far-reaching implications in many fields such as neurobiology, regenerative medicine, and synthetic biology.
• It encourages a multidisciplinary approach where discoveries in one area (like bacterial communication) can inform our understanding of complex brain functions.
• This could lead to new technologies in biological computing and innovative therapies in medicine.
• Analogy: By understanding the simple building blocks of life, we can eventually design complex systems much like using basic Lego blocks to build an intricate structure.

Summary and Conclusions

• Cognition is a fundamental biological function that exists even in the simplest organisms.
• Basal cognition provides a new framework for understanding how life processes information and makes decisions.
• This approach unifies diverse fields of study and challenges the view that only brains are capable of cognitive processing.
• By “connecting the dots” from bacteria to humans, we can gain deeper insights into evolution and the nature of intelligence.

观察：重塑认知的视角

• 本文主张认知科学应像其他生命科学一样，从最简单的生物开始研究，再逐步扩展到复杂生物。
• 它提出即使是最小的生命形式（如细菌）也具备感知、记忆、学习、决策和交流等基本认知功能。
• 这种方法被称为“基础认知”，意指生命体与环境互动的最原始、最基本的方式。
• 类比：就像学习烹饪，先掌握简单食谱，再挑战高级菜肴。

离子通道：概念验证案例

• 离子通道是帮助离子穿过细胞膜的蛋白质，对产生电信号至关重要。
• 最初在神经细胞中研究的离子通道，同样存在于细菌中，帮助它们在生物膜中协调群体行为。
• 关键发现：
  • 细菌利用钾离子通道在生物膜内发送电性报警信号，就像社区中的警报系统。
  • 这些信号帮助细胞在营养不足时协调生长与存活。
  • 这种行为类似于神经元在大脑中的通信，提示存在进化上的联系。
• 类比：想象一个群聊，当物资紧缺时，每个人都会收到提醒，共同调配资源。

唤醒沉睡的达尔文程序

• 本文重新审视达尔文的观点，即复杂的心理功能是从简单生物逐步进化而来的。
• 历史上的微生物研究表明，即使是单细胞生物也会展现出过去被认为仅属于动物的行为。
• 这支持了认知并非突然出现，而是具有深远进化根源的观点。
• 定义：这里的“认知”指生物体通过处理环境信息来采取行动，以确保生存、成长和繁殖的方式。
• 类比：就像从功能简单的老式手机升级到智能手机——基本通信方式相同，但变得更复杂。

我们所说的“认知”是什么？

• 目前尚无统一的认知定义，本文提供了一个基于生物功能的工作定义。
• 认知涉及获取、处理、存储和利用环境信息的机制。
• 其关键组成部分包括感知、记忆、学习、决策和交流。
• 重要说明：“信息”被定义为引起生理或行为反应的任何环境变化。
• 类比：把生物体看作一台不断接收输入、处理信息并“决定”下一步行动的小型电脑。

基础认知：方法、工具箱与机制

• 方法：从最简单的生物入手，揭示基本的认知能力，再研究复杂的大脑。
• 工具箱：基础认知的工具箱包括：
  • 感知环境
  • 存储和回忆过去的经验（记忆）
  • 从互动中学习
  • 做出决策和交流
• 例如：细菌通过群体感应（quorum sensing）来协调行为——它们分泌化学信号，当达到一定数量时，“交流”以共同调节反应。
• 这表明即使没有神经元，生命体也内建有处理信息和决策的方法。
• 类比：就像一个团队中每个成员发短信提醒，整个团队才能协同作战。

论文集的结构

• 本文是一个更大主题论文集的一部分，其文章按相似主题分组：
• 适用于所有生命形式的概念工具和组织原则。
• 通过单细胞研究揭示认知功能起源。
• 探讨植物和动物中多细胞协作的信号传递。
• 这一结构强调了从细菌到人类共享相同基本认知原理的观点。

开启未来之门

• 理解基础认知对神经生物学、再生医学、合成生物学等多个领域都有深远影响。
• 它鼓励跨学科研究，让一个领域的发现（例如细菌之间的通信）帮助理解复杂大脑功能。
• 这种方法可能推动生物计算新技术和医学创新疗法的发展。
• 类比：了解生命的基本积木后，我们就能像用简单的乐高积木建造精巧结构那样设计复杂系统。

总结与结论

• 认知是一种基本的生物功能，存在于最简单的生物体中。
• 基础认知为理解生命如何处理信息和做出决策提供了全新的框架。
• 这一方法打破了传统“只有大脑才有认知”的观念，将不同领域统一起来。
• 通过“串联点滴”从细菌到人类，我们可以更深入地了解进化和智慧的本质。