Tree growth metaphor

This text is part of: "I would never send my kids to school" by Piotr Wozniak (2017)

Given enough time and access to knowledge-rich environments, without the need for an education system, the knowledge of an individual grows into a large, comprehensive, and coherent body. This is true of all free, and healthy individuals. The size and the quality of the tree may depend on one's personality, interests, and the starting point of the intellectual development. However, one of the chief myths of education is that the organic growth of knowledge leads to multiple biases and areas of ignorance. Those blank spots are allegedly larger than those that remain after years of schooling. Due to the computational power of the learn drive, and the phenomenon of emergence, the opposite is true. The metaphor I like to use to explain the power of the learn drive is that of a tree growth.

Metaphor. Why use metaphors?

Natural growth of individual human knowledge can be compared to a growth of a tree. Individuals cells in the meristem of a tree twig know very little of the tree and its global growth goals. The meristem follows simple hormonal, biochemical, or biophysical rules (e.g. apical dominance). Those simple rules guiding growth towards light are highly efficient and the tree can shape its crowns beautifully. It will also efficiently organize into a canopy with other species. Force of gravity is tackled optimally. Redistribution of nutrients is easy. Absorption of light is excellent. All obstacles, e.g. other trees, rocks or lamp posts, are handled with ease. Similar mechanisms ensure an efficient growth of a plant root system. A simple set of local rules is also employed by the growth cone in sprouting new neural connections in the brain.

The tree of knowledge works along similar principles. The learn drive mechanism makes sure that individual leaves of memory crave light of new discovery and sprout branches in the direction of inspiration. Locally, the learn drive may seem simple and blind. Globally we grow great individuals with erudite knowledge needed to support all vital human functions in society. Self-learning brains can fit any environment and fulfill all imaginable human goals.

As much as trees need water, CO2, some nutrients and light, brains need energy, rich input, and unconstrained freedom. All attempts at coercive regulation suppress the learn drive and the tree of knowledge fails to germinate on its own

See also:

• Jigsaw puzzle metaphor
• Crystallization metaphor
• How a slime mould optimizes connections between nodes