# Santa Fe Institute Studying the benefit of a brain
**URL:** https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/santa-fe-institute-studying-the-benefit-of-a-brain/12001
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [June 3, 2026, 5:06am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/santa-fe-institute-studying-the-benefit-of-a-brain/12001 "2026-06-03T05:06:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@inthedarkness](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/inthedarkness)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2026, 5:06am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/santa-fe-institute-studying-the-benefit-of-a-brain/12001/1 "2026-06-03T05:06:42Z")
Thought this might be of interest:
> **[Working group asks, what’s the benefit of a brain? | Santa Fe Institute](https://www.santafe.edu/news-center/news/working-group-asks-whats-the-benefit-of-a-brain)**
>
> The brain runs on about 15 to 20 watts, less than most light bulbs, but has still managed to evolve a voracious appetite for energy. In humans, it accounts for only about one-fiftieth of weight but consumes about 20% of our daily energy. Intelligence...
Seemed like an interesting endeavor about how intelligence offers an evolutionary benefit, though part of me wonders if we haven’t covered this before. Still it’s a little surreal to see how much evolution impacts our lives.
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### Author:  [@lausten](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/lausten)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2026, 6:52pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/santa-fe-institute-studying-the-benefit-of-a-brain/12001/2 "2026-06-03T18:52:53Z")
The title is almost like it is from The Onion.
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### Author:  [@inthedarkness](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/inthedarkness)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2026, 8:25pm UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/santa-fe-institute-studying-the-benefit-of-a-brain/12001/3 "2026-06-03T20:25:20Z")
You’d think but the body of the post is kinda interesting. They’re examining the trade off for the massive energy consumption of the brain for intelligence. Intelligence must have an evolutionary benefit to require so much energy cost.
This is also related; [What does it mean to compute? | Santa Fe Institute](https://www.santafe.edu/news-center/news/what-does-it-mean-to-compute-new-paper-by-sfi-researchers-points-to-an-answer)
They are attempting to tie computations done by non constructed computers to constructed computers to be able to test and model them. This includes stuff like brains and cells, though I’m not sure how I feel about that one. Any endeavor to reduce humans to mere computers makes me queasy.
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### Author:  [@lausten](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/lausten)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2026, 1:10am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/santa-fe-institute-studying-the-benefit-of-a-brain/12001/4 "2026-06-04T01:10:11Z")
> [@inthedarkness](#):
>
> Any endeavor to reduce humans to mere computers makes me queasy.
I don’t think it’s accurate. There are many obvious differences.
> [@inthedarkness](#):
>
> Intelligence must have an evolutionary benefit to require so much energy cost.
The theory of evolution doesn’t assume that if something exists now then it means it is beneficial. There can be changes that result in the eventual end of a species and you can’t look at how things are now and be sure what’s beneficial and what’s not.
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### Author:  [@inthedarkness](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/u/inthedarkness)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2026, 2:18am UTC](https://forum.centerforinquiry.org/t/santa-fe-institute-studying-the-benefit-of-a-brain/12001/5 "2026-06-04T02:18:16Z")
> [@lausten](#):
>
> I don’t think it’s accurate. There are many obvious differences.
Maybe, I don’t know enough to say for sure. I know that center focuses on interdisciplinary research so the answer could be spread across.
> [@lausten](#):
>
> The theory of evolution doesn’t assume that if something exists now then it means it is beneficial. There can be changes that result in the eventual end of a species and you can’t look at how things are now and be sure what’s beneficial and what’s not.
I guess that’s true, intelligence could be an accident and they could just be chasing their tails.
Like I said the center focuses on interdisciplinary research and even the president wrote this explaining the need for it: [The Reality Ouroboros - Nautilus](https://nautil.us/the-reality-ouroboros-809153)
Saying that only on point isn’t enough to grasp all of reality because each field on its own has one thing it cannot explain within its field.