Emergence, or arising, is defined as a phenomenon in which larger entities are created from the interaction of smaller units, achieving advanced properties that the original units do not possess. Science, art, philosophy, and even life itself offer abundant examples of emergence, and the most impressive thing is that in general we don't know why it happens. The latest video published by Kurzgesagt helps us explore it.
The most compelling example shared in the video is based on ants. On its own, an ant cannot do much (unless we're talking about an animated DreamWorks film), and from different points of view we might think it is stupid, but its ability to communicate through chemicals combined with its adaptation potential in a crisis transforms these simple insects into a colony much more powerful than the sum of its parts, even creating supercolonies with billions of members that as individuals wouldn't get very far.
Another fundamental case is that of cells. Technically they are composed of inert elements, however, these elements together give rise to the most basic unit of life we know. But the story doesn't end there. Cells combine, find specialization, and become organisms much more complex than they originally were. We have a heart, kidneys, lungs, liver, pancreas, intestines... and the list goes on. An independent cell could never achieve the properties of a heart, but those properties emerge through its interaction with other cells.
In other words, if we take the human body and divide it into its fundamental parts, we discover that they are quite stupid on their own, and in a way disappointing. Finally, Kurzgesagt asks a question that probably doesn't have a fully satisfying answer: If emergence allows the creation of advanced structures from simple components, is human consciousness an emergent property of brain cells? Perhaps we'll find out in another video.
