Marcus Frean

Low Cognition Pathways to Massed Cooperation

Flexible cooperation at scale is a hallmark of human success. This might make us think that the underlying mechanisms must be cognitively demanding. This talk explores simple, low-cognition solutions that enable large-scale cooperation. I begin with indirect reciprocity, showing how norms evolve to support cooperation, and introduce the concept of mutually consented score changes. I then show how the required consent can be implemented through physical actions like swapping, with tokens acting as tangible markers of agreement and reputation. Token use is effective, so why hasn’t it emerged more widely in non-human evolution?