Knowing Where-From: Understanding the Trajectory of Tool Use

Nov 10, 2024

Background

When I was trying to find the tools to help me solve problems, I found so many scattered across the internet. The meme came to my mind. Some people seem naturally good at using tools or finding resoruces, while others aren't. I wonder what the difference is and what will it affects different aspects of life.

Chain of Thought

How human and other creatures use tools?

  • Stone tools were one of the earliest forms of tools used by humans.
  • Stone tools date back approximately 3.3 million years, marking the beginning of human reliance on tools for survival.
  • The advent of agricultural tools around 10,000 years ago.
  • Primates use tools to obtain food, gather resoruces and protect predators.
    • Capuchin monkeys
    • Bonono
    • Orangutan
  • Some chimpanzee learnt to use tools without any instruction.
  • Elephants use tools to retrieve food that is out of reach.
  • Dolphins use tools to create nets to catch fish.
  • Crows use rocks to crack open nuts.
  • Leafcutter ants use tools to cultivate fungus for food.
  • Termites use soil, saliva, and feces to construct complex mounds that provide shelter and protection from predators.
  • Octopuses use shells to create shelter.

What's the motivation to use tools?

  • Infants develop tool use around 18 months, driven by intrinsic motivation to explore and manipulate objects.
  • The more intelligent people are, the more they use tools.
  • The motivation to use tools in chimpanzees is driven by intrinsic predispositions, specifically a higher intrinsic motivation to manipulate objects compared to bonobos.
  • Tool use provides a reproductive advantage.
  • Animals are motivated to use tools as a means to adapt to their environments and improve their chances of survival and reproduction.
  • Challenges and opportunities presented by an animal's surroundings can drive the motivation to learn and use tools effectively.
  • Animals may learn to use tools by observing others, which can be driven by the need to adapt to their social and ecological contexts.

What's the learning path of tool use? How does that affect our cognitive?

  • Planning abilities contribute to a gradual increase in task success.
  • As planning strengthens, the likelihood of selecting the most effective action increases significantly.
  • Older infants can think and imagine longer about their actions, which allows them to understand the interactions between tools and objects better.
  • This cognitive ability to plan and imagine contributes to assembling the necessary action sequences for successful tool use.
  • Tool use not only enhances physical interaction with the environment but also modifies neural processing and cognitive functions.
  • Individuals learn how to use tools not just by seeing others use them but also by physically interacting with them.
  • Tool use acquisition leads to a reduction in neural motor resonance phenomena.
  • Tool use behaviors involve both genetic predisposition and learning.

How does humanity build tools? What is their tendancy to invent tools from 0 to 1, or improve from 1 to 100?

  • Breakdowns in tools can lead to reflection and innovation.
  • If the conditions remained stable, there may have been little incentive for early humans to innovate their tool-making techniques.
  • If early human groups relied heavily on established methods and practices without significant social or cultural shifts, this could lead to a stagnation in innovation.
  • If high-quality stone materials were consistently available, there might have been less motivation to develop new tools or techniques, leading to a plateau in technological advancement.
  • If social structures favored conformity and the preservation of existing knowledge over experimentation, this could contribute to a lack of technological progress during the Early Pleistocene.
  • During the Early Pleistocene, early humans were primarily focused on survival. The immediate need for effective tools for hunting and gathering may have overshadowed the pursuit of innovation, resulting in a preference for tried-and-true methods rather than exploring new technologies.
  • Skilled users often focus on the task rather than the tools themselves.
  • The creation of tools is a cumulative social process, allowing for the exchange and variation of ideas among individuals.
  • The ability to create and innovate is rooted in cultural practices and social learning, which can lead to technological advancements.
  • Inventors face the inventor's dilemma, balancing novelty with utility.

How modern people learn to use tools?

  • Modern individuals learn to use tools through a combination of social interaction, imitation, and practice.
  • Learning mechanisms: observing and imitating others, engaging with physical practice and cumulative knowledge.
  • Modern people learn to use tools through social networks and group-based semiotic behavior, which involves goal-directed thought.
  • Modern people learn to use tools through apprenticeship, where experienced workers explain tasks and demonstrate usage.
  • The concept of "where-from" artefacts, which are based on past experiences and knowledge, is cruicial in understanding why tools are used in certain ways.
    • The learning process is not just about following instructions but also about grasping the underlying pricinples that govern tool usage.
    • The effectiveness of apprenticeship in tool usage is linked to the depth of knowledge that experienced workers impart to novices.
    • The learning process is enhanced when apprentices can ask questions and engage in hands-on practice.
  • Artefacts categorisations based on Wartofsky's framework
    • Primary: These are the actual tools or objects used in activities, such as hammers or computers.
    • Secondary: These include internal and external representations of primary artefacts, such as instructions or mental models that guide the use of primary artefacts.
    • Teriary: Concepts or ideas such as theoretical models.
  • Modern humans choose tools based on their affordance.
  • Cognitive interaction with tools may suppress technical and practical reasoning.
  • Users may become less involved in understanding how tools work and more reliant on them to perform tasks.
  • About the future of human-tool interactions, users might eventually only need to express intentions, while the tools handle the execution of tasks.
  • Three distinct cognitive modes of interaction with tools
    • Pysical Tools (Past)
      • Tools like stone tools, hammers and knives.
      • It requires a fundamental understanding of their physical properties and the pricinples behind their use.
      • Users must engage in technical reasoning to select and manipulate tools effectively.
    • Sophisticated Tools (Present)
      • Modern tools like computers, cars, and other interface-based tools.
      • Rely more on procedural memory and associative learning rather than deep technical reasoning.
      • Reliance on pre-established procedures for tools use.
    • Symbiotic Tools (Future)
      • Tools like brain-computer interfaces that directly link human cognitive processes with machines.
      • Users express intentions, tools handle execution of tasks.
  • Tools influence task evolution, which in turn shapes human cognitive capabilities.
  • Factors influencing modern developers in choosing tools
    • Developers tend to favor technologies they are familiar with, which can lead to a reluctance to adopt new tools or models.
    • Developers often consider the preferences and practices of their peers and the organizational culture when selecting database technologies.
    • Developers may hesitate to switch to new tools due to concerns about the learning curve, potential disruptions to ongoing projects, and uncertainty about the benefits of the new technology
  • Many species use tools, humans are unique in their frequent use of a wide variety of tools.
  • Modern humans tend to choose tools based on their intelligence levels.
  • Individuals with higher intelligence are more likely to opt for automatic tools over manual methods when completing tasks.
  • Humans assess the costs and benefits associated with using different tools. Intelligent individuals are better equipped to make these assessments, leading them to favor more effective tools.
  • The inclination to use tools may be an evolutionary advantage. Historically, intelligence has helped humans survive by enabling them to design and utilize a wide variety of tools. This evolutionary perspective supports the notion that modern humans continue to leverage their cognitive skills to enhance tool use.

Think outside the box

Resource limitation is one cause of poverty, although the relationship is complex. I wonder if simply providing free knowledge and digital resoruces will truly make a difference in the lives of people experiencing poverty.

Individuals learn to use tools by observing others, interacting and planning based on success tasks. But do they have suitable role models in their environment to emulate? It's a vicious cycle for them from learning tools to reshaping the cognitive ability.

However, most government policies focus on the accessibility of resources, including tools, rather than building the whole ecosystem. Education seems to prioritize theoretical knowledge over practical application and collaborative learning, partly due to high competion and a reluctance to share best practices.

While research indicates that in the future, human only need to express intentions, leaving tools (AI or any frontier technology) to handle execution, we might miss a chance for evolutionary advantage.

Citation

Yi-Han, Liu. (Nov 2024). "Knowing Where-From: Understanding the Trajectory of Tool Use". Hannie Liu. https://hannieliu.com/mind/241110-tools-trajectory.

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