It’s another day in an educational testing facility, where well-meaning professionals with clipboards and standardized tests are about to completely miss the point on how a child's brain actually works. Again.
Somewhere along the way, we got carried away with the idea of “working memory.” We decided the only way to measure it is by having kids sit stiffly in chairs, repeat number sequences backward, and hold still—as if that’s how memory works in real life. Imagine our ancestors, who tracked herds for days across the savannah. They would be baffled to see how far we’ve come—and by “come,” I mean how far we’ve strayed from what memory is really for.
From here things only get more interesting (and by interesting, I mean profoundly wrong). We’ve made these tests as ecologically valid as measuring a cheetah’s hunting skills by asking it to complete a multiple-choice quiz on gazelles. Working memory tests might make sense in a quiet classroom, but the brain in real life is an incredibly complex, multi-system powerhouse. It doesn’t rely on sitting still in a room with fluorescent lights to remember things—it’s got entire circuits humming together in sync. There’s the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), the star of traditional memory tasks, but behind the scenes, a whole set of circuits are doing what we call somatic working memory. The cerebellum, basal ganglia, and somatosensory cortex are busy holding and processing memories, tracking patterns, and integrating what the body and brain know into a cohesive experience. And, just as you might guess, these circuits don’t play by the rules of standard education.
Thesis: Somatic working memory is an overlooked but essential component of intelligence, particularly suited to creativity, adaptability, and navigating complex changes. While standardized assessments can’t capture this form of memory, it is a fundamental driver of human potential and a powerful tool for pattern recognition and learning.
I. Misguided Testing and Misunderstood Intelligence
Traditional Working Memory Testing Flaws
Standard working memory tests look more like office training manuals than reflections of actual human memory. They ask kids to repeat numbers backwards, recall unrelated images, and stay still—all tasks that recruit a small part of the brain, mainly the DLPFC. While this cognitive area is useful for certain memory tasks, the reality is that memory isn’t confined to short-term number retention. It’s a whole-body experience, with sensory integration and emotional resonance. We don’t remember our way across landscapes or through complex social interactions by staring at numbers in our heads.
To illustrate just how strange these tests are, imagine asking a cheetah to prove its hunting skills by completing a bubble-sheet test on gazelles. These assessments, which are supposed to tell us whether someone has “good” or “poor” working memory, are almost as absurd—and just as out of touch with how human beings actually work. They reduce memory to something that can be measured in rigid, quiet moments in a chair. It’s a system designed for office clerks, not dynamic minds that evolved to track, hunt, create, and solve problems in an ever-changing environment.
The Misinterpretation of Somatic Working Memory in Testing
By focusing on these standardized tests, we overlook something profound—somatic working memory. Imagine a twice-exceptional (2e) child who naturally excels in complex, real-world scenarios. They’re the kind of kid who can hold intricate patterns, engage socially, and improvise with ease, balancing multiple storylines at once. But give them a working memory test? Suddenly, they’re labeled as “deficient.” The testing system isn’t built to capture somatic-cognitive processing, the powerful blend of memory systems that lets these kids do what they do.
Take my own son, for example. In third-grade he was an improv prodigy, managing multiple character cues and plotlines in real time. But when he was tested on working memory by traditional methods, the concerned notes from teachers started rolling in. In other words, it was like flunking a fish for not climbing a tree, while it’s staging an entire Shakespearean production underwater.
Our science supports this idea, though you’d never guess it from our current testing protocols. Studies of expert performers—whether they’re athletes, musicians, or artists—show that their brains light up in a network known as the **sensorimotor integration network**. This complex network involves the cerebellum, basal ganglia, and the somatosensory cortex, among others, all syncing together to manage information in ways our traditional tests ignore. Research by Kirchner and Thorpe (2006) shows people can process visual scenes in 120 milliseconds—long before cognitive working memory even turns on. It’s as if our bodies are outsmarting the tests.
So why are we still measuring memory in such a narrow way? By labeling kids as deficient in working memory based on these limited assessments, we’re missing an entire dimension of intelligence. We’re treating them as though they’re failing to play the game—when in reality, they’re playing an entirely different game, and the weight of these labels could be preventing them from winning at it.
II. Neuroscientific Foundations of Somatic Working Memory
Sensorimotor Integration Networks and Damasio’s Somatic Marker Hypothesis
The neuroscience behind somatic working memory isn’t new. In fact, it’s rooted in what Antonio Damasio called the Somatic Marker Hypothesis (1994). Damasio’s work showed that our body states—those subtle cues like gut feelings and physical sensations—aren’t just “extras” in our mental processes. They’re central to decision-making, learning, and memory formation. This means that the cerebellum (which controls coordination), the basal ganglia (which manages habit learning and pattern recognition), and the somatosensory cortex (where sensory information is processed) work together to form a sensory “memory system.” In other words, our bodies don’t just support memory; they actively generate it. Somatic memory stores a wide array of sensory, physical, and emotional experiences that can guide us and serve as a map for future actions.
While traditional working memory tests focus solely on cognitive recall, somatic memory recruits these deeper networks to guide us intuitively. You might even think of somatic working memory as the brain’s built-in GPS, always recalibrating based on the subtle physical cues around us. And when you’re navigating complex environments, that GPS is a lot more useful than any single brain area working in isolation.
Sensorimotor Learning and Memory Retention
Somatic memory lasts! A study published in *Nature Neuroscience* (2018) found that sensorimotor learning creates much more durable memory traces than purely cognitive strategies. Think of learning to ride a bike: once you master it, you retain it for life. In contrast, something like the quadratic formula vanishes as soon as you leave the exam room. Somatic memory holds on to information because it isn’t trying to memorize isolated facts; it’s capturing integrated patterns.
This difference makes sense when you think about the ways these two types of memory were meant to serve us. Cognitive memory is great for short-term, task-specific information, but somatic memory holds the patterns we use to navigate complex, dynamic environments. The body-based system creates memories that don’t just sit in our minds—they’re encoded in our muscles, in our senses, and in the way we respond to the world around us.
Interoception and Neural Pathways for Somatic-Cognitive Integration
The somatic-cognitive link doesn’t stop there. Interoception—our awareness of internal body states like heartbeat, gut feelings, and breath—plays a critical role in how we think and remember. Studies by Craig (2009) and Barrett (2017) reveal that interoceptive awareness, processed in the insular cortex, connects bodily sensations with cognitive awareness. This connection allows bodily signals to influence how we prioritize and retain memories, giving our bodies a voice in what we remember and what we act on.
The insular cortex serves as a neural pathway for integrating these body signals with cognitive awareness, essentially turning the body into a memory-processing system. It’s this system that traditional working memory tests overlook, leading us to ignore an entire form of intelligence. When we talk about somatic working memory, we’re talking about a deeply interconnected, multi-sensory network that’s capable of guiding us through complex, real-world situations.
III. Somatic Working Memory: A Lifelong Pattern Recognition System
Pattern Detection and Lifelong Memory Storage
Somatic working memory isn’t designed for short-term tasks like recalling numbers in reverse order; it’s built to recognize and store patterns across a lifetime. Unlike cognitive memory, which holds facts and figures, somatic memory locks onto complex, interconnected patterns and holds them for years—even decades—scanning the environment for when and where those patterns might reappear or complete. It’s a form of memory that helps us make sense of the world at a gut level, storing pieces of information that our conscious minds might miss.
Take the experience of recognizing a familiar sensation or a particular combination of cues that leads to an “aha” moment. This is somatic working memory at work. It’s the reason we get a feeling of clarity or even relief when we recognize something we’ve stored unconsciously. It’s what you might call the “somatic eureka” effect: a blend of emotional and physical satisfaction as the body recognizes and completes a long-held pattern.
Case Example: Rags to Riches and the Misunderstood 2e Talent
Let’s look at how somatic working memory operates in real life by re-examining the countless “rags to riches” stories of people who “defied the odds.” Often hailed as underdogs, these individuals typically come from backgrounds where they were misunderstood, labeled as deficient, or dismissed by traditional educational systems. They weren’t struggling with “poor” intelligence or “weak” working memory; they were simply playing by different rules—rules designed by a system that didn’t understand how they think and process information.
The twice-exceptional (2e) individual who could see patterns that others missed, anticipate outcomes without fully “explaining” their methods, or quickly master complex, dynamic environments. One 2e child was given a working memory training app intended to take a full year to complete. Instead, they breezed through it in just a few months—not by following every step, but by recognizing the underlying patterns and structure of the app itself. Their “deficiency” was actually their strength, their so-called “different way of thinking” a real advantage.
These stories of successful individuals overcoming adversity often involve people who didn’t “fail” cognitive tasks but approached them from a different angle. By using somatic intelligence to sense and understand underlying structures and patterns, they excelled in ways the testing systems couldn’t measure or recognize. What we often hear in these inspirational stories is that they were misunderstood or underestimated, but the reality is that their success came from being wired to excel in dynamic, real-world situations.
These 2e individuals, often pegged as “unlikely successes,” are not exceptions in terms of their potential; they’re exceptions only because they managed to find a path that allowed their somatic intelligence to flourish. For children like this, traditional testing doesn’t just miss the point—it misses an entire dimension of intelligence. These individuals weren’t “deficient”; they were extraordinarily gifted in ways that challenge the limits of conventional metrics.
How Somatic Memory Enhances Real-World Awareness and Adaptability
Somatic memory evolved as an ancient mechanism for survival, helping humans detect and respond to environmental shifts long before we had tools for explicit cognitive analysis. It’s the system that enabled our ancestors to track subtle changes in weather, animal behavior, and landscape patterns to survive in the wild. Somatic working memory processes what the body senses—the angle of the sun, the tension in the air before a storm, or the sound patterns of an approaching predator.
In modern life, this same system helps us recognize trends and adapt to rapid changes, even when we aren’t consciously aware of what we’re responding to. Somatic memory enables us to “feel” a situation and respond intuitively, making it one of the most adaptive and essential forms of intelligence in our rapidly shifting world.
IV. Creativity and Innovation as Products of Somatic-Cognitive Integration
The Role of Somatic Memory in Creativity
Creativity is often seen as a mysterious, magical ability, but in reality, it’s the outcome of a well-integrated mind-body system. For creative minds, somatic working memory and cognitive memory interact seamlessly to support complex, intuitive problem-solving. Somatic memory holds onto patterns, experiences, and sensory data that cognitive memory alone might overlook. When we’re in a creative flow, these stored patterns surface and interact with conscious thoughts, forming connections that would be impossible through logic alone.
Consider the role of sensorimotor integration in the performing arts, for example. For an improvisational actor or a musician, creativity relies on a deep well of somatic memory—muscle memory, rhythm, timing, and sensory input—that allows them to perform fluidly and adapt in real time. Without somatic memory, these creative feats would be impossible to pull off. The result is an intelligence that’s dynamic, adaptable, and primed for creating connections most of us wouldn’t see.
Twice-Exceptional (2e) Individuals and the Creative Advantage of Somatic Memory
Twice-exceptional individuals, particularly those with a blend of cognitive and somatic intelligence, often demonstrate heightened creativity precisely because they access both somatic and cognitive memory. They don’t rely solely on cognitive recall but use their entire system, blending intuitive physical responses with conscious thought. This integration allows 2e individuals to excel at tasks that require imaginative thinking, pattern recognition, and innovative problem-solving.
Because traditional systems have chosen to ignore somatic memory, these individuals are frequently miscategorized as “deficient” or “learning-disabled.” In reality, they’re drawing on an advanced form of intelligence specialized for creative and adaptive tasks. What the system labels as a “deficit” is often an advantage, uniquely suited for tasks that require out-of-the-box thinking.
It's almost as if the system is set up to not see the most intelligent people. It's almost as if they have chosen to oppress our somatic intelligence in an attempt to exploit the most creative by denying them their reality. Which could cause one to pause and change their perspective on what we now consider as insanity, completely.
Innovators, Artists, and Entrepreneurs: Success Through Somatic Memory
The role of somatic working memory extends well beyond the classroom. Many of the world’s most successful innovators, artists, and entrepreneurs rely on somatic memory to hold complex, long-term patterns that support their creative process. For these individuals, somatic memory provides an intuitive “library” of patterns and insights that guides their decisions and sparks new ideas. Its why artists can channel deep emotional experiences into their work or why entrepreneurs can sense market shifts before data confirms them.
Somatic memory doesn’t just store knowledge—it provides a roadmap for navigating uncertainty. It allows people to draw on years of implicit learning and physical experience to make intuitive leaps that purely cognitive approaches can’t match. This isn’t just creativity; it’s a highly adaptive, whole-system intelligence that equips people to succeed in unpredictable and innovative fields.
V. The Educational and Systemic Blind Spot
The Cost of Ignoring Somatic Intelligence in Education
Our current education system, with its cognitive-only focus, fundamentally misunderstands the potential of students who excel through somatic intelligence. For children who naturally use their bodies as memory systems—who learn and respond through sensing, feeling, and doing—traditional approaches can feel restrictive, even stifling. Twice-exceptional (2e) learners, who often draw on somatic memory in unique ways, end up misjudged by cognitive-only assessments. These students are commonly labeled “deficient” because their talents don’t translate to rote memorization or standardized testing.
Take, for example, the countless students labeled “poor” in working memory because they can’t replicate abstract sequences in controlled testing environments. This is despite their real-world abilities to recognize nuanced social patterns, recall intricate physical skills, or adapt intuitively to changing situations—skills that require a robust somatic memory. Ironically, these somatic skills are often exactly what will serve them best in real life, yet they’re ignored in favor of educational tools that don’t apply. As a result, resources and funding are channeled into interventions that overlook the strengths of these learners.
A Call for Reform: Integrating Somatic and Cognitive Approaches in Learning
There is a growing body of research that advocates for embodied learning—a teaching approach that integrates physical experiences and cognitive tasks to engage the full spectrum of human memory. Shapiro & Stolz (2019) found that physical engagement enhances retention, comprehension, and cognitive flexibility. An embodied learning approach could bridge the gap between cognitive and somatic memory systems, particularly for 2e learners who rely on both.
If we want education to fully nurture human potential, we need tools and assessments that honor the whole intelligence, not just isolated cognitive skills. Practical steps could include sensory-based learning, hands-on projects, movement-based exercises, and assessments that recognize somatic contributions. By valuing somatic working memory alongside cognitive tasks, education could become a more inclusive and empowering experience, allowing twice-exceptional and somatic learners to thrive.
VI. The Future of Intelligence: Why Somatic Memory Matters in the Age of AI
Somatic Memory as a Counterbalance to AI Cognition
As artificial intelligence (AI) takes on more cognitive tasks, the role of human somatic intelligence is becoming more critical than ever. AI excels at analyzing data, making calculations, and processing vast amounts of information—essentially all the things our standardized working memory tests love. But it falls short in one essential area: long-term, integrated pattern recognition that draws from physical sensations and emotional experience. AI can tell you the fastest route to a destination, but it won’t recognize that today’s air pressure feels exactly like it did before a major storm last year.
Humans have this unique advantage through somatic working memory. It allows us to connect sensory details and subtle environmental shifts that AI can’t capture, giving us an intuitive grasp of complex, evolving situations. Somatic memory is like a real-time “pattern detector” that helps us integrate information beyond what algorithms can quantify. In a world increasingly dependent on AI, somatic intelligence may be our greatest asset, providing insights that are harder to quantify but essential for navigating unpredictable challenges.
The Role of Somatic Learners in Navigating Future Uncertainty
Somatic learners—those who think and remember through body-based systems—are our advance warning system in a rapidly changing world. They have an innate ability to “feel” shifts in their environment, whether social, environmental, or interpersonal, long before such changes appear in the data. This kind of sensory-based pattern recognition is crucial for detecting early warning signs, from shifts in group dynamics to subtle environmental changes, and adapting behavior accordingly.
In a future where climate instability, social dynamics, and rapid technological change create continuous flux, these somatic learners will play an invaluable role. They will bring an intuition and responsiveness that can complement data-driven AI, providing real-time, adaptive responses to emerging challenges. Far from being “difficult” students in a classroom, these individuals may be the key to humanity’s adaptability, prepared to see and respond to shifts AI cannot detect.
Embracing Somatic Memory as an Evolutionary Advantage
What we currently label as “deficits” in cognitive-only testing are actually evolutionary strengths. Strengths our leaders didn't want to value in a one size fits all standardized society. A society that was likely never meant to be. Somatic intelligence, with its body-centered approach to memory and learning, could be humanity’s greatest strength for surviving and thriving in complexity. If we’re serious about equipping people to navigate a world of rapid change, we need to rethink our most of our societal paradigms. Somatic intelligence may be the very trait that enables us to adapt, innovate, and thrive amid global and technological transformations.
As we face unprecedented levels of complexity, embracing somatic memory as an asset rather than a deficit will be essential. This shift isn’t just about recognizing different learning styles; it’s about understanding somatic intelligence as a fundamental and powerful form of human intelligence. We have the opportunity to redefine what we consider “intelligence” and, in doing so, prepare for a future where we can fully leverage the unique, embodied wisdom that no AI can replicate.
VII. Recognizing Somatic Memory as Essential Intelligence
The Potential for Transforming Education, Innovation, and Well-being
Somatic working memory has the power to revolutionize our understanding of intelligence, creativity, and well-being. Imagine an educational model that views somatic intelligence not as an alternative but as an essential aspect of human potential. By acknowledging that memory and intelligence extend beyond cognitive recall, we open the door to a fuller, more inclusive understanding of learning and creativity. Recognizing somatic memory as essential means acknowledging its role in problem-solving, adaptability, and emotional resilience—qualities that traditional tests and classroom models rarely capture but which are crucial in real life.
When somatic intelligence is incorporated into our view of human potential, it changes everything—from how we assess learning to how we prepare students for the future. No longer would children be labeled as deficient for excelling outside traditional frameworks; they’d be valued for their ability to sense, feel, adapt, and create in complex environments. It shifts the focus from fitting everyone into a single model of intelligence to a more flexible, multidimensional approach that celebrates diversity in how we think and learn.
The Value of Somatic Intelligence in a Cognitive-Dominated Culture
In a culture dominated by cognitive intelligence while it is simultaneously moving away from valuing it, somatic working memory offers a counterbalance, reminding us that human experience is not confined to cognitive processes alone. Somatic intelligence brings our whole being into the picture—senses, emotions, intuitions, and physical responses, all working in harmony to guide us. By reclaiming its value, we recognize that intelligence is more than a brain-based phenomenon; it’s a full-body, interactive process that includes feeling, sensing, and adapting.
Somatic intelligence offers us a way to connect with our surroundings, understand complex patterns, and intuitively respond to change. As we come to value it, we also come closer to understanding the full scope of human potential, beyond the narrow confines of traditional education and cognitive tests.
The Value of Somatic Working Memory
The importance of somatic working memory extends far beyond school assessments. It’s essential for creativity, innovation, adaptability, and well-being—qualities that define our humanity and our potential. For too long, somatic intelligence has been sidelined, ignored by educational models, and misjudged by tests that don’t understand its depth. But it’s never been more crucial for us to reclaim it.
As AI takes on more cognitive tasks, human somatic memory becomes one of our greatest assets. It’s a type of intelligence that doesn’t compete with AI but complements it, allowing us to feel, intuit, and navigate complexity in ways machines can’t. Somatic intelligence may well be our secret weapon in adapting to an unpredictable world—our way of sensing the subtle shifts that precede big changes and responding with an instinct AI can’t replicate.
So the next time someone tells you that a child has “poor working memory,” ask them: poor for what? Poor for a standardized test? Or poor for thriving in a world that requires adaptability, creativity, and a bone-deep understanding of patterns and change? Because in the end, the real test isn’t one we’ll take in a classroom; it’s the test of surviving and thriving in a constantly shifting world. And for that test, somatic working memory isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.
When we embrace somatic memory, we reclaim our whole intelligence. We recognize that real intelligence is not only about thinking but also about feeling, sensing, and adapting. And as we look toward the future, it’s this type of intelligence that may prove to be our most valuable asset of all. After all, when the winds of change are blowing, would you rather have a spreadsheet or a weather sense that goes bone-deep?
References
1. The Neuroscience of Somatic and Cognitive Memory Systems
- Damasio, A. R. (1994). Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain. New York: Putnam Publishing.
- Introduces the Somatic Marker Hypothesis, which explains how emotional and bodily states influence decision-making and memory. This work suggests that bodily signals (somatic markers) help the brain prioritize and store relevant experiences, supporting the argument for a body-based memory system.
- Craig, A. D. (2009). How do you feel—now? The anterior insula and human awareness. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10(1), 59-70.
- Describes the role of the insular cortex in integrating interoceptive (internal body) signals, providing evidence for how bodily sensations inform cognition and awareness. Craig’s work supports the concept that bodily awareness directly influences our memory and decision-making.
- Kirchner, H., & Thorpe, S. J. (2006). Ultra-rapid object detection with saccadic eye movements: Visual processing speed limits in the human brain. Nature, 442(7101), 931-934.
- This study found that people can process complex visual scenes in as little as 120 milliseconds, which occurs before conscious working memory activates. This supports the idea of a rapid, preconscious sensory processing system involved in pattern recognition and memory.
- Phelps, E. A., & LeDoux, J. E. (2005). Contributions of the amygdala to emotion processing: From animal models to human behavior. Neuron, 48(2), 175-187.
- Examines the amygdala’s role in linking emotion with memory, supporting the idea that somatic and emotional experiences create stronger, longer-lasting memories than purely cognitive ones.
2. Somatic Memory and Learning
- Nature Neuroscience Study (2018). Long-term motor memory traces in sensorimotor networks: Neuroplasticity through embodied cognition. Nature Neuroscience, 21(6), 850-860.
- Demonstrates that sensorimotor learning creates robust memory traces in the brain, supporting the argument that bodily or somatic memory systems have high retention and are long-lasting, unlike purely cognitive memory.
- Shapiro, L., & Stolz, S. A. (2019). Embodied cognition and its implications for education. Educational Psychology Review, 31(3), 457-477.
- This research explores embodied cognition in learning, showing how engaging the body in educational processes enhances memory retention and understanding. Supports the idea that integrating somatic memory in education benefits students, especially twice-exceptional (2e) individuals.
3. Pattern Recognition and Memory in Neurodivergent Individuals
- Mottron, L., Dawson, M., Soulières, I., Hubert, B., & Burack, J. (2006). Enhanced perceptual functioning in autism: An update, and eight principles of autistic perception. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(1), 27-43.
- Discusses enhanced perceptual processing in autism, supporting the idea that neurodivergent individuals have distinct pattern recognition abilities that are often rooted in somatic and perceptual systems, not just cognitive ones.
- Ullman, M. T., & Pullman, M. Y. (2015). A compensatory role for declarative memory in neurodevelopmental disorders. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 51, 205-222.
- Examines alternative memory systems in neurodivergent individuals, explaining how they rely on different memory pathways that are often stronger in perceptual or sensorimotor integration, highlighting the somatic aspects of memory.
4. Traditional Knowledge Systems and Somatic Awareness
- Hutchins, E. (1995). Cognition in the Wild. MIT Press.
- Analyzes spatial and somatic memory used in traditional navigation practices. Indigenous navigation techniques demonstrate how memory systems function across physical and cognitive dimensions without written aids, showing somatic-cognitive integration in practical applications.
- Norris, R. P., & Hamacher, D. W. (2014). Australian Aboriginal astronomy: Traditions and modern perspectives. Encyclopedia of the History of Science, 1-14.
- Highlights Aboriginal spatial-temporal awareness and the role of somatic memory in encoding complex information about time, space, and environment—memory practices that underscore somatic intelligence.
5. Limitations of Cognitive-Only Testing and Implications for Twice-Exceptional (2e) Learners
- Baum, S. M., Schader, R. M., & Owen, S. V. (2017). To be gifted and learning disabled: Strength-based strategies for helping twice-exceptional students with LD, ADHD, ASD, and more. International Journal for Talent Development and Creativity, 5(2), 9-22.
- Provides insight into strength-based strategies for 2e learners, emphasizing the importance of supporting somatic and creative approaches to learning rather than relying solely on cognitive assessments.
- Barr, N., Pennycook, G., Stolz, J. A., & Fugelsang, J. A. (2015). The brain in your pocket: Evidence that smartphones are used to supplant thinking. Computers in Human Behavior, 48, 473-480.
- This study discusses how technology offloads cognitive tasks, altering natural memory abilities. It provides a basis for discussing how traditional education fails to foster integrated intelligence that combines somatic and cognitive working memory.
6. The Future of Intelligence: Somatic Working Memory in a Tech-Driven World
- Loh, K. K., & Kanai, R. (2016). How has the internet reshaped human cognition? The Neuroscientist, 22(5), 506-520.
- Examines brain adaptation to technology, showing that reliance on external tools can alter memory and cognitive processes. Supports the argument that somatic working memory is crucial in a world where AI takes over discrete tasks.
- Gamble, C. (2007). Origins and revolutions: Human identity in earliest prehistory. Cambridge University Press.
- Explores the evolutionary roots of somatic memory in early human societies, describing how environmental pattern recognition and bodily awareness were survival mechanisms. This adds an evolutionary perspective on why somatic working memory is essential for modern adaptability.
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