Why didn't we evolve to have our brains encased in our chests? Many advantages: less vulnerable, closer to blood supply, closer to muscles, makes head more maneuverable. Yet I can't think of any animals like this, so it must have major downsides. Longer optic nerves, perhaps?
-
There seem to be significant efficiencies to having sensory organs concentrated near brains. Maybe @Ilex_ulmus or
@primalpoly has thoughts.
I thought a lot about this issue in grad school, and even tried some genetic algorithm simulations of sense, brain, and body configurations. It's all about nerve conduction velocities, IMHO. Makes sense to centralize senses and CNS in a head wrapped around a mouth. Way faster!
-
-
If you don't know why something is, start by figuring that out before you try to figure out the "why it's not" questions. The correct question is: "Why is or brain in our head?" Not "Why isn't it in our gut?" Also, we already have a brain in our gut.
-
I disagree. It's easy to construct just-so stories about why things turned out a certain way. But if you could have come up with similarly compelling stories no matter how things turned out, then the explanation is weak. For more on this see:https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/5JDkW4MYXit2CquLs/your-strength-as-a-rationalist …
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
Yeah ... it seems like the whole system is optimized for fast processing time. Shortest connections from high input sensory systems (eyes, ears) to the central processor.
-
Sort of like algorithmic, high frequency traders wanting close proximity to Manhattan for shortest physical connection distance.
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
I love geeky questions. Signal velocity shouldn’t be an issue for smaller animals and I don’t see small animals with brain in chest.
-
This Tweet is unavailable.
- 2 more replies
New conversation -
-
-
But I do agree with better though put argument nonetheless: octopus does have “2nd” brains in their tentacles.
-
Does octopus have a chest?
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
And nose?
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
Yes, also there must be path-dependence. The emergence of most animal heads goes back to the split of tunicates and lancelets from other chordates. So a lot depends on the contingency that all vertebrates come from a common ancestor who had a head. Tho convergent evolution also.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.