SUBJECT: Re [ &NUM ] : biologically inspired robots <QUOTE> <QUOTE> Theories of evolution of human cognition suggest very plausibly that the neocortex was evolved because of complex societies of our ancestors ( vertebrates with high neocortex / body ratio have complex societies ) . The society makes the individuals more complex , their abilities make the society more complex ... And all characteristics of human cognition are strongly linked to social abilities ( e.g. abstractly think what the other is thinking I am thinking , etc. ) <END_QUOTE> This causal link is n't clear . It could just as easily be that larger brains ( evolved due to some other pressure ) enabled individuals to perform tasks leading to more complex social structures . <END_QUOTE> Yes , in the beginning . But once you have a complex society , there is a positive feedback which presses the individuals to develop ' better ' social skills , which in turn makes the society more complex , and so on ... It would be interesting to see which constrains could break this feedback ... probably lack of environmental resources could limit population sizes ... or on the other hand , if the resources are plenty enough , and you are already ' clever ' enough , you can survive being lazy and watch Big Brother all day ... Warm regards , &NAME &NAME ... Center &NAME &NAME , &NAME &NAME &NAME &NAME &NUM . B-1160 &NAME , &NAME &WEBSITE ' What makes humans different from other animals ? The ability to ask silly questions . '