Academic Area
Biology & Complex Systems
Understanding intelligence as an emergent property of living and adaptive systems.
Thinking About Thinking Inc. supports interdisciplinary inquiry into biology, psychology, and complex systems, the study of how intelligence, behaviour, and adaptation emerge from interacting components over time.
This focus area brings together researchers and practitioners working across biology, psychology, cognitive science, computational biology, cybernetics, informatics, and complex systems science. We are interested in how intelligence arises in living systems, how behaviour is shaped by context and interaction, and how insights from natural systems inform artificial and collective intelligence.
Our emphasis is on emergence, adaptation, and interaction, moving beyond isolated components to understand systems as wholes.
Core Questions We Explore
How does intelligence emerge from biological and psychological processes?
What mechanisms underlie learning, behaviour, and adaptation in living systems?
How do feedback, regulation, and control shape complex systems?
What can biological systems teach us about robustness, resilience, and failure?
How do individual cognition and collective dynamics interact?
Where do reductionist models fall short in explaining complex behaviour?
Recordings
Events
Neuroscience and cognitive science are core threads across our flagship events.
At neuromonster, these questions are explored in depth through long-form talks and working groups focused on the neuroscience and mathematics of intelligence.
At AE Global Summit, cognitive and neural perspectives inform broader discussions about intelligence, computation, and society.
ThAT Ambassador Programme
The Thinking About Thinking Ambassador Programme is an open, application-based pathway for students and early-career researchers who want to take part in serious, interdisciplinary conversations about intelligence.
Ambassadors support Thinking About Thinking’s conferences, workshops, and community initiatives, helping to extend thoughtful dialogue across universities, disciplines, and countries. The programme is designed for people who care deeply about ideas, collaboration, and building intellectual communities.
Outstanding Ambassadors who demonstrate sustained contribution, leadership, and intellectual engagement may be invited into the Thinking About Thinking Fellowship, a private, invitation-only programme for long-term contributors.
Ambassadors
Year 2025
Ambassadors
Support the future of intelligence research and understanding