Res Extensa and Res Cogitans

An exploration of how the world of matter gave birth to the world of mind

In the 17th century the father of modern philosophy Rene Descartes created what is referred to as modern dualism. Descartes suggested a strict division between the mind (a non-material entity) and the body (a physical entity). Today's post is an exploration of these two realms. I shall warn you there will be a lot of mental acrobatics and a lot of conjecture. Many of the ideas in this post are influenced by Ludwig Wittgenstein, Rene Descartes, Noam Chomsky, Joscha Bach, Nick Lane and David Deutsch.

RES EXTENSA

Res Extensa or the material world is the realm of stuff. Things that we can touch and bump into are part of this world. Equally important are the rules that govern it. While not fully understood, we have good models that describe this world and its rules with a lot of accuracy. So much so that we launched a probe in 2016 to meet a near-earth asteroid Bennu in 2018 which returned to Earth in September this year with samples from that Asteroid's surface (OSIRIS-REx mission). This very competent grasp on the rules of physics, chemistry and biology is really what has made modern civilisation possible. Given the understanding of these reliable models there are many things that we know to be possible but that we can't yet engineer.

What is significant about us humans in Res Extensa is that we know that we are not seeing the world as it really is. The real world does not have colours or sounds. There are indeed waves with frequencies but none of them have the properties that we ascribe to them as such. We perceive them because of the design and limitations of our perceptual apparatus. The part of the electromagnetic wave spectrum that was relevant to our survival is the visible light spectrum. Radio, micro, infrared, ultraviolet, x-ray and gamma-ray waves are not visible to us but we know they are there.

We also know that the base layer of reality as we currently understand it is weird. The rules that govern the microcosm seem hard to relate to our human scale environment. In simple terms, particles at the base layer of reality are in many states at once, a sort of undecided mess. They can influence each other even from very far distances. Their location and momentum can't both be pinned down at the same time at any given moment. Yet, the equations that reliably describe this incomprehensible (from a monkey perspective) quantum world, most prominently the Heisenberg and Schrödinger equations, are fundamental in the creation of transistors, semi-conductors, GPS, digital cameras, lasers, etc. technologies that are the foundation of our modern world.

What follows is that this messy undecided ever dynamic microcosm of too many parts to count that we approximate as solid geometries at our scale is governing the material world, despite its unintuitive machinations. At the cutting edge of current day cosmology and quantum physics most have given up on space and time being fundamental properties of the universe all together. For instance quantum entanglement suggests that the strength of entanglement between particles dictates their spatial relationship, leading to the fabric of space as we experience it. The same theory suggests that temporal relations – the 'before' and 'after' – might emerge from the complex entanglement of quantum states. In other words, foundations of the physics engine that we human scale entities experience may just be side effects of what the universe is actually up to.

The strong grasp that we have on the rules of this universe despite its weird implications, is both empowering and unnerving. While we may be playing on the seashore with a vast ocean of unchartered knowledge in front of us, as Newton famously said, there doesn't seem to be a lot of room for miracles. It is of course possible that we yet discover incredible insights but they are likely to build upon some of our knowledge and not completely invalidate it. Our classic Newtonian universe and that of Einstein’s Special Relativity don't allow for anything other than determinism. Quantum Physics, while introducing an indeterministic universe, doesn't open a door to free will either as indeterministic means random rather than directed. Tough spot to be in for us egocentric monkeys but let's just pretend we have free will for now (we have no choice anyway).

THE EMERGENCE OF RES COGITANS

Res Cogitans or the world of ideas is the realm of thinking, understanding, willing and imagining. In this world nation states exist, so do virtues and human rights. None of these ideas are implemented in the Res Extensa other than in the neural networks of those who have adopted them. What does implemented mean here? The way the concept of a nation state is implemented in my neural network is not universal, meaning the nation Germany is not encoded the same way in all brains on this planet. There is a physical representation of Germany in my brain, which is generated through a combination of complex biological, chemical, and electrical activities that result in a neural architecture but it differs from yours. I grew up in Germany so the taste of curry wurst, the smell of the alley near the Hauptbahnhof in Frankfurt and the tactile feeling of the pillar of the Brandenburg Gate are all bound up with the neural architecture that is Germany. The dictionary definition of Germany, which is a compressed and abstract idea, means the same for most of us but its physical representation in biological substrate can't be identified reliably. So the encoding of ideas in Res Cogitans seems not to be tied to the physical structure in Res Extensa.

How did this Res Cogitans emerge? Given that ideas like Germany require special encoding of information when did the ability to do such a thing arise? An atom contains information, which is represented by the physical configuration of its components (elementary particles). So its information content equals its structure. An atom, a rock, complex molecules and stars have an information content that is represented solely by their physical structure. This structure obeys the rules of Res Extensa in the most direct way - physics and chemistry do their thing.

Enter RNA, which formed in the prebiotic soup of the early earth about 4 billion years ago (unless you believe in panspermia, in which case it was brought here on an asteroid). RNA molecules, among other things, ensure genetic information is accurately and effectively used for protein synthesis and gene regulation. While all molecules have a physical structure determined by their atomic composition, RNA goes beyond this by using its structure to encode information. The sequence of nucleotides in RNA isn't just a chemical arrangement; it's a code or language that guides the synthesis of proteins. In the history of the universe, prior to the emergence of RNA (as far as we know), the complexity we observe was largely a direct result of physical and chemical laws acting on matter. RNA introduced a new level of complexity – a molecule not just formed by chemical laws but also storing information that governs biological processes. RNA uses its structure to store and transmit genetic information, which is an abstraction from its physical properties. This information determines how organisms are built and function, which is a leap in complexity. The emergence of RNA can be seen as a milestone in the history of the universe – a shift from patterns formed by physical laws to the storage and transmission of biological information. This represents a fundamental change in how information is stored in the universe and is the foundation of Res Cogitans.

Fast forward billions of years and the ability to encode and store information coupled with evolution by natural selection has resulted in multicellular life that has created complexity at many levels of emergence. I'm purposefully leaving out many steps that got us to someone saying "Cogito, ergo sum" because I don't want to get sidetracked (I know, I failed a bunch on this front already).

RES COGITANS

At this point some dualists among you may be unsettled by the fact that the world of ideas is a direct outgrowth of the deterministic physics engine of Res Extensa. I don't claim this to be iron clad truth but I don't see any evidence to the contrary. The mechanistic nature of our brains is obvious. For example neurodegenerative diseases and psychological disorders (Alzheimer, Schizophrenia, Manic Depression, etc) show us that a change in the material world of our brain has a clear and substantial impact on our experience of the world of ideas. So despite Descartes insistence that mind and matter are separate they clearly don't seem to be but that doesn't make Res Cogitans less remarkable.

The world of ideas is grounded in language, not only linguistics but logic, maths, programming, musical notation, chemical equations, and so on. However those languages are orders of magnitude more complex than the one RNA "invented" to encode instructions for protein synthesis. Biological evolution provided the "technology" to increase the level of complexity in encoding. It did so with the creation of some main breakthroughs like DNA, photosynthesis, the complex cell, sex, movement, sight, hot blood and eventually the brain (Nick Lane's "Life Ascending" is a good read on the subject). It's baffling how all this played out over the course of 4 billion years through evolution’s exploration of the design space available given the circumstances on this pale blue dot and the rules of Res Extensa.

The biological evolution that laid the groundwork for complex language began with crucial changes in the human brain and vocal apparatus. The enlargement of the brain, particularly the areas responsible for cognitive functions, provided the neurological substrate necessary for processing complex information and producing sophisticated communication. This increase in brain size and complexity was paralleled by the development of a more flexible vocal tract and auditory system capable of producing and distinguishing a wide range of sounds.

A pivotal moment in the development of human language was the emergence of symbolic thought – the ability to represent objects, actions, and concepts with arbitrary symbols, be they spoken words, written characters, or gestures. This leap allowed early humans not only to refer to the tangible, immediate aspects of their environment but also to abstract concepts, past events, and future possibilities. The development of syntax – rules governing the arrangement of words to convey different meanings – added another layer of complexity, enabling the expression of nuanced and sophisticated ideas. This was the beginning of infinity for humans. With this breakthrough we became capable of creating languages or encoding that is many orders of magnitude bigger than anything else in the animal kingdom. Crows are smart and also have language but they haven't changed significantly over the past millions of years. Humans have been around for 250,000 years and despite still being barbarians managed to walk on the moon.

Parallel to biological evolution, cultural evolution played a significant role in the advancement of language. As human societies became more complex, the need for more efficient and versatile forms of communication grew. This need drove the evolution of diverse languages, each suited to the specific social and environmental conditions of different human groups. The ability of humans to engage in collective learning – transmitting knowledge from one generation to the next and building upon it – meant that linguistic innovations were preserved, shared, and refined over time. This cumulative cultural evolution has surpassed the pace of biological evolution by natural selection. The evolution of the meme space has an independent existence that is implemented in abstract encodings in neural patterns. These ideas are self-replicating, and are subject to selective evolution based on social utility and mastery over reality. This has made Res Cogitans the driving force of the development of Res Extensa on this mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

DIVERSITY OF LANGUAGE

To create worlds of ideas we've developed different types of encodings. Let's look at two different examples at opposite ends of the spectrum. There are some low information but high accuracy and some high information but low accuracy languages.

The math statement 100,000,000,000 / 100,000,000 = 1,000 is low information but high accuracy. Compare this to the statement "a heartwarming glance by his father" that has roughly the same number of characters. We understand there is a son and a father and a glance that is causing positive emotions. It is likely that this father and son have a good relationship and that they are in a setting where the son is seeking approval or reassurance from the father who is providing it. We know the warming of the heart is metaphorical etc. But at the same time we have no clue about the exact circumstances. Compare that to the math statement. It is exact but it contains little information comparatively.

Math therefore becomes a very reliable language for us to approximate the inner workings of Res Extensa as accuracy is key to do so. Mathematical symbols and operations follow strict rules, and mathematical statements are typically either true or false, with little room for ambiguity. The precision of mathematics makes it an ideal encoding language for describing quantities, structures, and logical relationships. Its abstract nature allows it to model complex systems and phenomena that may not be easily articulated in natural language.

Words can have multiple meanings, which can change based on context, usage, and cultural factors. This flexibility makes language versatile and adaptable but less precise than mathematics. Language is therefore used for a broader range of purposes, including expressing emotions, conveying subjective experiences, persuading, and storytelling.

Most significantly natural language enables infinite recursion. Noam Chomsky's model of generative grammar describes how a set of rules can generate the structure of a sentence in a language, allowing for the creation of an infinite number of sentences, including very complex ones, from a limited set of rules and words:

• "Ali read a book."

• "Ali read a book that Natascha recommended."

• "Ali read a book that Natascha recommended after she enjoyed it."

• "Ali read a book that Natascha recommended after she enjoyed it because Lucia praised it."

• "Ali read a book that Natascha recommended after she enjoyed it because Lucia praised it for its unique perspective."

In this example, the initial simple sentence is expanded through recursion by embedding additional clauses that provide more detail. Each new clause adds depth and complexity to the original statement, illustrating how recursion in language allows for the expression of complex ideas in a structured and hierarchical manner. This gives us unbounded potential to create stories and ideas. As a matter of fact the combinatorial space of stories we can create with language theoretically surpasses Eddington's number (total number of atoms in the universe 10^80).

I know this took us a while but we finally arrived at the crescendo of this line of thought. Somehow this universe after 13.7 billion years of exploration of the design space in the Res Extensa physics engine gave birth to a species that has developed languages that allow for an infinite world of ideas in Res Cogitans.

THE POWER OF IDEAS

Ideas have an impact on Res Extensa. They enable our discovery of the fabric of physical reality. They allow for creating processes to coordinate an unwieldy civilisation. They empower us to explore the human condition. Res Cogitans and the world of ideas are the platform for the universe to become more complex faster than cosmic evolution alone.

Just like language, ideas are also recursive. The ideas of equality, freedom of speech and human rights have lead to many more people participating in the wider idea generation process. The idea that tools can help us to manipulate the world (the scene from 2001 Space Odyssey comes to mind) kicked off a process that resulted in agriculture, which in turn resulted in more people being born to participate in the idea space. The social contract, democracy and capitalism allowed for more complex societies and forms of collaboration to expand the idea space. The development of the idea framework we call the scientific method, which is rooted in empirical observation, experimentation, and the questioning of established beliefs, revolutionised our understanding of the natural world. It laid the foundation for modern science, technology and tools that have made the dissemination of ideas more efficient.

Where does this game of infinite possible ideas lead us? If we don't go extinct, then the long game seems to be Res Cogitans mastery over Res Extensa. Our current interface to manipulate reality uses intermediary steps to achieve our will. A thought is translated into words on a screen, which are translated into 1s and 0s to be transmitted. We design on computers so that people with tools build physical or digital products. But these intermediary steps create friction. The speed with which I am typing this is slower than the speed of my thought.

The problem here is that our thinking is in high content low accuracy language and our interface to most creation flows through programming languages and technical systems that use low content high accuracy languages. The recent advances in generative AI have given us a glimpse of the next era of mastery over Res Extensa. When we can use natural language to prompt an AI to create an image, we understand that the mastery over digital realms is getting closer. With neural interfaces which read my mind (rather than me having to type) ultimately a thought can create worlds. There are no limits in Res Extensa’s rules for this not to happen. It is just a matter of design and engineering.

Mastery over the world of atoms could follow suit. Building is a crude process. When we can instruct nano bots to assemble items atom by atom based on digital instructions, we reduce intermediary steps like drawing up plans that we explain to humans, who use comparably unwieldy inaccurate tools. Nano bots assembling from the ground up increases mastery over the world of matter. Our bodies are run by such bots, specialised molecules with narrow instructions that build proteins, enzymes and cells atom by atom. These were "invented" by evolution. We will be able to design nano bots that can do a lot more. There is no law of physics that suggests that in future these bots cannot eventually "grow" building sized objects just like they grow a human. Couple these nano bots to neural interfaces and a thought in Res Cogitans can be manifested as an object in Res Extensa.

One can question of course whether this pursuit of becoming gods of Res Extensa is a worthy cause. We opened Pandora's Box a long time ago and all ideas that express themselves in technologies that make us more powerful have been adopted hence. I acknowledge that the above scenarios sound like sci-fi, just as our world would sound like sci-fi to 19th century humans.

CONCLUSION

Our exploration through the realms of Res Extensa and Res Cogitans reveals the profound journey of the universe, particularly through its most curious and inventive product – humanity. From the fundamental particles that make up the physical world to the boundless landscapes of human thought and imagination, we've ventured far in understanding and reshaping our reality.

Looking forward, the convergence of Res Extensa and Res Cogitans hints at a future where the barriers between thought and physical reality blur. Advances in AI, neural interfaces, and nanotechnology suggest a future where the leap from idea to creation becomes instantaneous, a world where our deepest imaginations could be materialised as easily as they are conceived.

Yet, as uncle Ben would say, with great power comes great responsibility. The pursuit of becoming masters of Res Extensa should be tempered with wisdom and foresight. As we stand on the brink of unprecedented capabilities, it is crucial to reflect on the ethical, philosophical, and societal implications of our advancements. The lessons learned from our past, the understanding of our present, and the visions of our future should guide us in creating a world where the harmony between the material and the mental realms leads to the betterment of humanity and the world we inhabit.

In essence, the journey through Res Extensa and Res Cogitans is not just a tale of human achievement but a continuous dialogue between our quest to understand the universe and our endeavour to find meaning within it. As we navigate this ever-expanding landscape of knowledge and possibility, we continue to redefine what it means to be human and reshape the future of our existence in this vast, mysterious universe.

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ADDENDUM

Some casual ranting at the bottom of this post as it feels fitting:

COINCIDENCES

The world of ideas is an outgrowth from the world of matter. As such Res Cogitans seems to underlie and be limited by the same rules of Res Extensa. This means that miracles are not real. If you experience something that feels really unlikely then well it's likelihood was taken into consideration by the universe. As long as it's not impossible it can happen. As David Hume said if a miracle happens in your favour you need far more evidence to believe it. We are not that special but that’s clearly hard for our egos to process.

TELEPATHY

You want to call your friend and just as you pick up your phone your friend calls you. Is there some level to Res Extensa we haven't discovered that allows complex objects like people to be entangled (usually only small particles up to molecules are capable of this). Yes, why not. There may be something we don't know yet that will explain such phenomena. But the explanation for such a thing will arise from the deterministic world engine and not open the door to some miraculous world where humans' thoughts can bend the rules of the cosmos.

MANIFESTATION

I hate this term and I don’t use the h-term lightly. Thinking that one can manifest something in this world is the epitome of self-involvement. No, this universe doesn't work on the basis of who wants things most will get them. There are millions of people living in abject poverty, it is very likely they want to exit their situation more than influencer X wants to get a ticket to some VIP event at Art Basel Miami. Manifestation, as it were, starts and ends within the confines of ones own body. One can indeed influence one's own framing of the world and "manifest" a positive filter. The amount of good or bad things that happen to a person will stay exactly the same, they will just notice different things. So please stop suggesting you are manifesting things into existence as it is a scathing judgement of those poor souls in unfortunate circumstances that are not of their own choosing. "Manifesters" implicitly suggest “losers” just don't want to escape their plight enough and only because they are somehow more evolved they can. This is extremely arrogant.

POWER OF MIND

However, as suggested above, framing is seemingly very powerful. People can be miserable, while having objectively everything, while people with very little can be happy. We don't know enough about this and it is worthy of more exploration. In the most powerful instance this mysterious power expresses itself as the Placebo effect. It has been widely documented that for the improvement of certain conditions (as opposed to completely curing) being administered a Placebo is as good as getting medication. This means that the idea in Res Cogitans actually somehow affect physical tissue and biological processes in Res Extensa. No miracles are implied here. Placebos are not a cure for diseases and should not replace effective medical treatments. Nevertheless, it is worth acknowledging the power psychological factors can have over mental and physical health.