Status Updates From How to Create a Mind: The S...

Recursion, according to Chomsky, is the ability to put
together small parts into a larger chunk, and then use that chunk as a part in yet another structure, and to continue this process iteratively. In this way we are able to build the elaborate structures of sentences and paragraphs from a limited set of words.

Language is itself highly hierarchical and evolved to take
advantage of the hierarchical nature of the neocortex, which in turn reflects the hierarchical nature of reality.

A similar mechanism triggers old memories. Usually there is an entire chain
of such links. Even if we do have some level of awareness of the memories
(that is, the patterns) that triggered the old memory, memories (patterns) do not have language or image labels. This is the reason why old memories mayseem to suddenly jump into our awareness.

Keep in mind, however, that computers process millions of times
faster than our biological circuits

Traversing each level takes between a few hundredths to a few tenths of a second to process. Experiments have shown that a moderately high-level pattern such as a face takes at least a tenth of a second. It can take as long as an entire second if there are
significant distortions.