If the neocortex is good at solving problems, then what is the main problem we are trying to solve? The problem that evolution has always tried to solve is survival of the species. That translates into the survival of the individual, and each of us uses his or her own neocortex to interpret that in myriad ways. In order to survive, animals need to procure their next meal while at the same time avoiding becoming someone else’s meal. They also need to reproduce. The earliest brains evolved pleasure and fear systems that rewarded the fulfillment of these fundamental needs along with basic
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