The Human Brain: The Best Tool for Survival
By Doug Scherber
Why are humans the most intellectually advanced species on Earth? How did we advance so much quicker than other animals? What makes us different? If you have ever found yourself pondering questions like these, as I have myself, then you probably reached the same conclusion. We have AMAZING brains! Our cognitive ability is far beyond that of any other species that co-exist with us on this large sphere of dirt we call “Earth”.
So, what exactly is different in our brain from other brains that gives us such an advantage? Aside from the unfathomable number of neurons we possess in comparison to other animals, the concise answer is top-down processing. Top-down processing is the cognitive ability to see the “whole picture” before the individual components of which it is constructed. A great example of top-down processing is detailed in The Memory Illusion by Julie Shaw (2016).
When we see a cube drawn on a sheet of paper, we instantly process that we are looking at a cube, and not just a bunch of lines on paper. This comes from our experience with the shapes and objects in our environment around us. Our memory of the world around us provides us with the ability to quickly process information in great detail with minimal effort, like the fruit in the picture molded into cubes. We know it is a three dimensional shape, all sides have equal area, it will not roll like a spherical object, etc….yet we do not think about any of this before thinking to ourselves “that’s a cube”.
So, how does top-down processing actually give humans an intellectual and survival advantage? Well, this ability is something that we use subconsciously every day. It allows us to take input from our environment, process it, formulate a response, and perform an action in a matter of milliseconds. We can find solutions to our daily problems or challenges at speeds ridiculously quicker than other animals, which very likely could never even reach a solution at all.
The ability to see the entire picture of a situation rather than processing deeper details first is beneficial in several aspects of human life. We use this during education, work, athletic competition, and more to act quickly, and almost instinctively, on solutions. This saves us critical time, and it is why our species has advanced so far from our beginning to modern day. An article by Kendra Cherry highlights the importance of top-down processing: “Processing information from the top-down allows us to make sense of information that has already been brought in by the senses, working downward from initial impressions down to lower-level senses”. We need top-down processing, because without it we would end up wasting hours, days, months, or even longer figuring out details that aren’t necessary to form an appropriate reaction or solution. Now, let me give you an example of the power of top-down processing: What food is in the picture below?
Top-down processing should have lead you to see ‘eggs’ incredibly fast. “If the visual system only processes information using a bottom-up approach, humans would briefly view and identify the objects in a scene before processing more general, gist-like elements of the scene” (Reiner, 2019). In this instance, you are seeing ‘eggs’ before you see the colors white and yellow or the shape of the food. This is just one simple example that demonstrates your brain’s ability to identify things without needing to think for more than a matter of milliseconds. We are able to do this because we remember the appearance of the item, and the name of the item. So, every time we come across that item again in the future, we know exactly what it is without having to think. This simple mechanism in our brain gives us the edge for information processing. We use our memory and top-down processing thousands of times per day to perceive objects in our environment instantaneously.
The cognitive ability of humans is our most valuable weapon for survival. It is not internet technology, not construction, nor guns and explosives. Why? We used our brains to create everything mentioned in the previous sentence, and much more. We analyze, adapt, and overcome obstacles quickly and effectively. Without our brain, and the ability for top-down processing, we would most likely spend hours each morning trying to figure out how to operate a car and drive it to work. Instead, we use that time to continue inventing the next big thing that helps us survive and thrive. Our brain is a possession that we should cherish every day of our lives.
References
Shaw, J. 2016. The Memory Illusion: Remembering, forgetting, and the science of false memory. https://www.drjuliashaw.com/thememoryillusion
Riener, C. (2019). New Approaches and Debates on Top-Down Perceptual Processing. Teaching of Psychology, 46(3), 267–272. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628319853943
Cherry, K. (2020, October,18). Top-Down Processing: How It Influences Perception. Very Well Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-top-down-processing-279597