Consciousness and Information Processing in Multicellular Organisms

Neurons may act as telegraph cells, rapidly processing information while other cells contribute slower but essential communication.

### Rethinking Consciousness: Information Processing Beyond Neurons
* 🧠 The idea that **consciousness could organize information processing** in brains may also apply to other cells, suggesting a **broader understanding of how organisms organize themselves**.
* 🔗 All cells can send **conditional signals to neighboring cells**, challenging the notion that only neurons are capable of **complex computations**.
* 🤔 Neuroscience traditionally holds that **only neurons compute**, but this perspective may overlook the potential for **other cells to contribute to cognitive functions**.
* 💡 Neurons may serve primarily as "**telegraph cells**," evolved to **transmit information rapidly** for muscle movement and decision-making, indicating a specific **evolutionary purpose**.
* ⚡ Neuronal communication occurs through **fast spike trains**, while intercellular communication is **much slower**, highlighting the **efficiency of the nervous system**.
* 🌱 The hypothesis suggests that multicellular organisms could develop their own models of reality through **slower information processing**, akin to a nervous system but at a **different speed**.
* 🌍 This view opens the possibility that plants and other organisms may have their own **operating systems for information transmission**, without the need for specialized nerve cells.
* 🧬 Overall, the scientific community may need to **cultivate a greater curiosity** about these alternative information processing systems across different cell types.

Neurons are 'telegraph cells'

Joscha Bach Bits

Consciousness as a Principle of Information Processing

Consciousness may organize information processing in brains and potentially other cells.

Questioning why only brains think, suggesting other cells might process information similarly.

Neuroscience's limited view: only neurons compute, neglecting other cells' contributions.

Current models struggle to adequately replicate learning and control in nervous systems.

Neurons may be simplified as switching units in current models, potentially missing crucial aspects.

Hypothesis: neurons evolved primarily for fast muscle movement, using a high-cost, rapid information transfer system.

Neurons use spike trains for rapid communication, differing from slower methods used by other cells.

Other cells communicate via mechanical signals, chemical exchange, and RNA transfer, but slower than neuronal transmission.

Slower intercellular communication limits the speed of information propagation compared to the nervous system.

The Nervous System's Role and Other Cells' Potential

Fast muscle movement necessitates a fast information processing system built from telegraph cells (neurons).

Other cells may also contribute to a slower, but similar model of reality and problem-solving.

This hypothesis is largely unexplored in science.

Plants may have similar operating systems to animals, but without specialized cell types for information transmission.

Any cell type can potentially be recruited for organism-wide information transmission.