Introducing the brain: half a brain is just fine (Introduction)

by David Turell , Monday, March 30, 2020, 18:38 (1487 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: My logic is based upon archaeological studies and reports that better improved artifacts always are found in places where the fossils have the bigger brains.

dhw: Of course they are! But archaeological studies don’t explain why the brains got bigger in the first place! And so you continue to ignore the fact that there is no way anyone can possibly know if the FIRST artefact in the history of each larger brained species was conceived before or after the expansion. It could only exist after the brain had expanded sufficiently to produce it.

Backwards: The smaller earlier brain can produce the concept, but not the production! What you are proposing is conceptualization is easy and production difficult. Read Berlinski here.

dhw: I don’t like to delve too deep into precise figures. […] The fossil record does not provide a continuous record of expansions!

DAVID: Let's stick to what is found and accepted as size jumps.

dhw: May I also ask you if you think the fossil record is complete? It’s also worth noting that even in the human brain there are variations in volume. One website says the average is 1300 cc – 1500 cc (oh, a gap of 200 cc!) but there is a range from about 1000 cc to 1800 cc. So perhaps you can understand why I wouldn’t like to be as precise as you about a 200 cc jump from one homo to another.

I give the average finding of jump in size, all big.

DAVID: We know that Erectus knew what Habilis had created and used those tools. We know, as above, increased brain size and advance in artifacts are correlated, always being found together. That is the way archaeologists view it, and they are not at our level of wondering about jumps in brain size and its cause.

dhw: And you continue to echo what I keep saying, except that you conveniently forget the argument concerning the FIRST artefacts.

I don't forget, I reject completely.

DAVID: The facts do not support you in any way, but you have the perfect right to invent whatever makes you think it is a valid theory.

dhw: The fact that modern brains change AS A RESULT of conscious efforts to perform new tasks supports my theory that older brains changed AS A RESULT of conscious efforts to perform new tasks. Now please tell me what facts support your belief that your God preprogrammed or dabbled jumps of 200 cc before pre-sapiens could come up with any new ideas.

See above. the idea is in total reverse of the facts we have. Conceptualization of new ideas/designs is difficult, production much easier. Why aren't there more Einsteins to explain what we currently cannot?

DAVID: Remember, this discussion is at your non-god level, looking at a possible natural reason for expansion. I prefer God for the expansion.

dhw: What is wrong with the proposal that God organized Nature so that it would work naturally?

DAVID: My God is in total control. That proposal reduces His control as I view him.

dhw: So all that’s wrong with my proposal is that it's different from yours. Not much of an argument, is it?

See above. There are lots of your ideas that are backwards. Answer my points at the natural level.