The boss of Yusen recommended a book titled "A Brief History of Intelligence". By telling the story of brain evolution, it bridges the gap between AI and neuroscience.
The author of this book is very interesting; he is neither a neurologist, a roboticist, nor even a scientist. His motivation for writing this book was because he wanted to read such a book himself - lol.
We often carry a kind of chauvinistic notion, believing that humans are the most advanced form of life; but from an evolutionary perspective, all life forms are equal, with no hierarchy. There are only those who have survived and those who haven't. All animals alive today have gone through the same long process of evolution.
Today, let's first look at the world before the brain appeared, from non-living matter to the emergence of neurons.
abio (lifeless/inorganic) - genesis (life/organic)
. Thus, the primitive process of evolution was also initiated. Any fortunate environment that could promote more successful replication would naturally drive more replication behavior.
When protective lipid bubbles enveloped these DNA molecules, the first version of the basic unit of life - the cell - was born. Then, ribosomes began to translate specific DNA sequences into specific amino acid sequences, which further folded into specific three-dimensional structure proteins, thus supporting cellular functions, including initial "intelligence".
LUCA（Last Universal Common Ancestor）
LUCA, or the Last Universal Common Ancestor, appeared approximately 3.5 billion years ago, as a simple version of modern bacteria powered by hydrogen.
to proliferate rapidly.
Around 2.4 billion years ago, new bacterial species emerged that could use cellular respiration to combine the "pollutant" — oxygen — produced by cyanobacteria with sugar to convert it into energy. A key difference between respiratory microbes and photosynthetic microbes is that they need to "hunt" to survive. And hunting gave rise to an entirely new kind of intelligence.
hunting
demonstrates a complex dynamic: aggressive innovation triggers defensive innovation, and defensive innovation further promotes the development of aggressive innovation.
(eukaryotes, pronounced "you-care-ee-oats") were among the first species to evolve predatory capabilities. They could directly engulf other cells and break them down within their own cellular structure. These eukaryotic organisms further differentiated into the earliest plants, the earliest fungi, and the ancestors of early animals.
About 800 million years ago, life had diverged into three complex levels:
: Composed of microscopic bacteria and single-celled eukaryotes. : Large enough to engulf single-celled organisms, but still capable of moving through the environment with simple cellular propellers. : Too large in body size to rely on cell propellers for movement, thus evolving fixed structures. 
Neurons
, while the other branch (fungi) does not.
The initial function of neurons and muscles may have been to carry out swallowing tasks.All animals involved in this process of gastrulation have neurons and muscles, and they all seem to come from an animal ancestor with neurons.
Gastrulation, neurons, and muscles are three inseparable characteristics that tie all animals together and distinguish them from all other kingdoms of life.
Adrian made three important discoveries about neurons:
or to encode information, rather than relying on the shape or size of the spikes. 
rather than absolute stimulus intensity. 
. This kind of "do this, don't do that" instruction may signify
Today's notes will stop at the emergence of neurons, and tomorrow we will continue with the appearance of the brain🧠.