The Missing Link

after 3 billion years of conscious development
the ape brain with a computing and storage capacity of 400cc
evolved some 30 million years ago

this ape brain had remained static
and grew no larger for the next 20 million years

then some five to eight million years ago
within the space of 5 million years
the skull size of one of the specie of apes
suddenly ballooned to 1400cc
while all the rest of its relatives remained static

why?
obviously in order to provide far greater computing capacity

if the ape specie was surviving quite happily for tens of millions of years
with its former brain
why did Nature select one of the specie
and decide it needed a larger brain?
what was trebling the computing capacity needed for?
what intellectual factor arrived to trigger the new growth spurt?

The answer can only be the Time factor
the former ape brain dealt only with the retrieval of past time experience
factored in with all the variables of present time survival exigencies
the infinite variables of future effect on present action
were not factored into their survival needs

in basic conscious terms
apes live moment to moment
intuitively conscious of all past experience
able to apply that survival knowledge to daily existence
but apes have no consciousness of the future
therefore a 400cc brain is all that is needed for survival

the ape brain had remained static
because its survival variables were finite
400cc were sufficient capacity for present needs
preparing for future changes and adaptations
were not factored in

so what exact new survival need forced one of the apes
to bring the infinite variables of future effect into play
and stimulate the brain to expand three times its former size
in order to accommodate, compute and try to make survival sense
out of infinite variables?

The answer can be found in ape tool use

Chimps use freshly peeled sticks oozing sap to ensnare ants
they also use sticks to poke edibles out of crevices
when the application is over
THEY LEAVE THE TOOL AND THE TIME REQUIRED TO PREPARE IT BEHIND
future need of the same tool is not in consciousness

The first ape that kept the wooden tool
forced the computing capacity of the brain to grow
allowing it to factor into survival consciousness
the infinite variables of future environmental imperatives

Nature engaged in evolving a super-brain capable of inventing and applying ever-advancing technology expertise in order to adapt to possible future changes and not end up extinct like the dinosaurs

thus retention of a stick as a tool began the rapid climb towards human consciousness

during the WOOD AGE. 8m BCE - 2.5M BCE
which marks the beginning of the Stone Age
wood was sharpened and carved, worked and crafted into hundreds of uses
while the hominid brain kept growing in retrieval and storage capacity

during the 5 million years of brain growth
several attempts were made to habituate and genetically imprint
the need for tool retention and work it for wider survival applications
they obviously failed. accounting for the several dead-ends and extinctions
on our back-trail
only one hominid specie survived to become fully human
dominate all of Nature
contemplate the meaning of the universe
and enjoy the agonies and ecstasies
of self reflection

consciousness is still evolving
the brain is still growing......