Accelerating Future

Brown’s Human Universals Wednesday, Jun 20 2007

intelligence Michael Anissimov 4:40 am

Anthropologist Donald E. Brown’s landmark book Human Universals points out over 200 behavioral and cognitive features it is suspected are common to all human beings. The list is very instructive for thinking about this species that we so happen to have been born into, and how it might be different from future species we engineer or otherwise create. Here are a few of the more interesting ones:

tabooed foods
childhood fear of loud noises
husband older than wife on average
anthropomorphization
reciprocal exchanges (of labor, goods, or services)
dreams, interpretation of
statuses on other than sex, age, or kinship bases
onomatopoeia
magic to win love
language, prestige from proficient use of

See the full list here. Human cognitive biases may also be universal. Also related is the search for a list of inductive biases.

8 Responses to “Brown’s Human Universals”

Warren Bonesteel Says:
June 20th, 2007 at 1:32 pm

Great post.

Of course, this particular topic has become my favorite hobby horse over the last few years.

…so…

I may be more than a bit biased.

We all have our biases. They are a result of many different factors, not least among them is brain plasticity, education or lack thereof, and our early personal and social environments up to the age of twenty. After the age of twenty, those biases - along with everything else - are pretty much hardened within the structures of our brains. Thereafter, they become ’second nature’ to us and we seldom, if ever, question or examine them. We are, however, awfully sincere and precise about examining the bias of others, which, in itself, is a bias.

The problem is, most people believe they have no biases.

The good news is that we can overcome our early brain entrainment - and our biases. As we age, it just takes a bit more work than it may have when we were younger.

As I undersand it, the important question that you raise here involves asking ourselves what type of biases do we - as individuals and as cultures and nations - bring to the transhumanism and AGI tables?

Hawkeye Says:
June 21st, 2007 at 8:25 am

Warren said: “The good news is that we can overcome our early brain entrainment - and our biases.”

Do you have any good studies or books on this topic? It is something I’ve been striving toward with my team here at work. I think we have most everyone agreeing that they DO have biases. Now overcoming them or at least identifying them specifically and challenging their appropriateness…

IanC Says:
June 21st, 2007 at 4:24 pm

Hawkeye: If you haven’t already looked at it, I suggest investigating neurofeedback techniques. They’re probably a bit too cumbersome and expensive for what you’re really after right now — but there you go.

Warren Bonesteel Says:
June 21st, 2007 at 7:55 pm

To Hawkeye:

Start with a study of neuroplasticity. Check your university library and neuroscience dept. (Google neuroplasticity papers, journals, etc. add search terms “infant,” “juvenile,” and “adult.”)

The topic will have some bearing on human enhancement, I’d think.

As for learning to overcome our bias…I’d start with Plato’s “The Republic” and Plato’s Cave. …then ask yourself if you are still in the Cave…or if you are just mistaking shadows on the wall for reality. ;O) (A question I am constantly asking myself, btw.

Consider those who project the shadows in Plato’s Cave as being the “Gatekeepers.”

Plato’s Cave is still the best example I’ve seen.