2min chapter

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A retrospective on agency (Ep 100)

Big Biology

CHAPTER

The Spectrum of Agents and Cognition

Mike and Dan realize that any system with an agenda also requires a form of cognition. This choosing of options is what Mike means when he says cognition. And cognition is core to what agents do. Here's Mike talking about a molecular reaction, arguing that in some sense, even molecules have simple forms of cognition. The most conspicuous form involves the brain, but really any system that has an information geometry can be understood as cognitive.

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