文章探讨了生命的层级结构，从简单细胞到复杂生物，提及随着层级上升，个体话语权减少，高层级更复杂聪明。还讨论了鸟类的简单图案、蜜蜂的防御、集体智慧等，指出复杂个体组成的集体未必更优，人类是例外，最后提到技术领域的类似现象。

🌐生命存在层级结构，从简单细胞到多细胞生物，下层个体话语权较少，如线粒体离开细胞无独立生命，多细胞生物中细胞的成功依托于生物体。

🦜鸟类有时会制造简单图案，这种简单几何或可预测的模式并不体现智慧，人们质疑这是否是鸟类对抗大型捕食者的最佳防御方式。

🐝蜜蜂面对个体优势攻击者时会采用最佳防御，相比之下，鸟群似乎不如蜂群聪明，有时群体表现甚至不如个体，如人群恐慌时的情况。

🤔复杂个体组成的集体未必更优，如单个蚂蚁和蚁群的差异大于单个狼和狼群，但人类能通过语言、意识等形成有效集体，是例外。

💻技术领域也有类似现象，如RISC和GPU架构在特定情况下胜出，简单的Transformer设计超越复杂的AI系统，但AGI情况不明。

Published on September 30, 2024 10:52 AM GMT

The Hierarchy

There is a hierarchy in life from simple cells to complex cells to multi-cellular creatures to creatures that often live in a groups like birds and bees. As we go up the hierarchy the lower levels have less individual say. For example the mitochondria have no individual life or fitness outside of the cell, and the cells success is not meaningfully measured outside that of the organism in multi-cellular creatures.

Generally as we go up the hierarchy the higher level is more complex and smarter than the lower level. A brain can think, a neuron cannot. A hive of bees or ants is more capable than an individual.

Bird patterns

However you see sometimes see relatively smart creatures such as birds making simple patterns. We are told that this is beautiful, mysterious and presumably smart in some way. However a simple geometric or predictable pattern does not allow intelligence or sophistication.  A perfect sinewave contains almost no information and no intelligence.

See here and here. 

Is this really the best defense against a larger predator by the birds? 

Bee defense

Here is what happens when bees use their best defense against an individually superior attacker. You wonder if the smaller birds could simply swarm the larger attacking bird, as they have vastly superior numbers.

In this case it looks like the flock of birds is less smart than the hive of bees, in spite of an individual bird being a lot smarter than an individual bee. Sometimes it can appear to go even further than that, say a crowd of people panicking is arguably worse than the least capable person in the entire group.

A different rule?

The more complex the pieces the less well they fit together unless there is strong pressure otherwise. Less intelligent units can form a better collective. This is especially true in terms of the relative capabilities. The difference between a single ant and an ant colony is greater than that of an individual wolf compared to a pack of wolves. This is even more extreme when comparing multi-celled creatures to single celled ones. The advantage of the collective is less the larger, more complex the pieces are or greater as the pieces get smaller, such as for cells.

However what about humans? We form very effective collectives, even sacrificing ourselves for  the group in spite of our intelligent individuality. Language, consciousness, communication and the imagination to communicate a shared vision enable us to make our complexities all work to create a greater whole. We are an exception to the diminishing collective returns with increasing size/complexity rule.

How about tech?

I first though about this many years ago, and it led me to believe that RISC and GPU based architectures would win out over CISC/Intel. We have seen that play out again with AI design. The simple transformer design overtook the more complex competing AI systems when vast computation power was available. Its not clear if this  applies to AGI. Smaller models may be able to outcompete larger ones when organized properly, or larger ones could be able to communicate effectively to overcome these potential problems in a way analogous to humans.

You can also of course draw analogies with large organizations and more agile startups, the small businesses of capitalism vs centralized control.

Discuss