Inspired by Melanie Mitchell’s book on Emergence, I created this image to explain how emergence engenders consciousness and where that leads to: increasing awareness and understanding of its source. Also, the process of how we are coming to understand this process, our process…  The immune system, cellular automata and human communities are not separate topics. They all have fragments, or programs, composed of a small set of instructions (eg language, DNA) that enable communication with each other. How do the automata communicate with each other? These fragments build larger fragments, and so on leading to emergent properties. A cell becomes an organ becomes a living creature becomes…  Both the fragments and the instruction set are necessary. The fact that this takes place in a matrix with fundamental discoverable laws is both astounding and delightful. See Geoffrey West’s mind-blowing talk. 

We can see ants or cells and perceive the emergent entity or  intelligence of the aggregate. But can we see the aggregate of  which we are the components? 

Science is only one dimension of our experience.