Arsuaga and Millás: The Literary Divorce of Sapiens and Neanderthal

Engaging in a conversation with Juan Luis Arsuaga (Madrid, 1954) and Juan José Millás (Valencia, 1946) is akin to witnessing an entertaining, wise, and meticulous boxing match between a homo sapiens and a neanderthal. The paleontologist-sapiens and the writer-neanderthal disagree on many things. Nevertheless, they have forged an editorial partnership spanning nearly five years, resulting in three 'offspring': three engaging books that blend science, literature, and humor to explore the mysteries of human nature.

The latest installment is 'Consciousness Explained by a Sapiens to a Neanderthal' (Alfaguara), which delves into consciousness, the most unfathomable enigma of our nature. This follows their previous explorations into the enigmas of life and death in their earlier essays. "There won't be a fourth," states the paleontologist decisively, who does not believe in happy divorces. "Everything must end badly for it to end," said Jorge Wagensberg rightly. "Endings are bad or they aren't," he asserts mischievously. In contrast, Millás speaks of an "amicable and even happy" divorce after this enthralling book on the mysteries of the mind and brain, an organ about which we have more uncertainties than certainties.

Starting from the end, after analyzing all the circumstances and contingencies of the brain—referred to as such by the scientist—they confront artificial intelligence. It is in this debate that the fiercest punches are thrown, heightening the tension between sapiens and neanderthal. The former believes that AI "changes nothing, for now," while the latter thinks it is "changing everything."

For Arsuaga, AI is neither a "threat" nor something "revolutionary." He believes it has yet to do anything crucial or provide any "interesting" solutions for medicine beyond speeding up many functions. However, Millás considers the change already "astonishing." The writer predicts a new era of "remarkable uncertainty and unprecedented achievements." He also speculates that AI could operate independently, govern itself, and govern us.

To Arsuaga, it is merely another technological advance comparable to what electric light or the steam engine once represented. "So far, it hasn't cured any diseases or produced a single medication," he criticizes Arsuaga "without denying its merit and utility." "I feel much more threatened by Putin or Netanyahu with their nuclear buttons than by AI," he adds.

"Rather than scaring me, AI fascinates and perplexes me," disagrees Millás. "It is much smarter than 95% of the population, who are incapable of writing with its syntax and coherence," asserts the writer and columnist who has tested it with paid chatGPT.

"The brain lives locked in a dark room," points out Arsuaga. However, for the writer, entering it and peering into its neural oddities and depths is like descending into the Mariana Trench. It unsettles Millás that the brain—a soft, fatty organ shielded by the skull—can do what it does.

He finds it a "disturbing" mystery that this encephalic mass "imprisoned in this bony safe sees and feels everything." "A brain may seem insignificant but encompasses complexities akin to a country the size of Russia. It weighs one and a half kilos and fits in a beret, but descending from its cortex to its depths involves no fewer risks and surprises than exploring oceanic abyssal zones," writes Millás.

Mind, soul, and brain are another cause of dispute for this seemingly well-matched wise pair. While soul and mind might be synonymous for Millás, for scientist Arsuaga "the mind is a property of the brain." "Self-consciousness is what sets us apart from animals—which do have sensations and feelings," emphasizes Arsuaga.

Both agree that much remains unknown about the brain and mind. Despite significant advances, what we don't know outweighs what we do know. "There is no unifying theory about the human brain," notes Arsuaga. "There isn't even consensus on how many neurons it contains; while it's been thought there could be between 80 billion to 100 billion neurons until now, one neuroscientist estimates that number at over 300 billion," says Millás. "That seems like a lot," retorts Arsuaga.

Is intelligence highly variable from one brain to another? The paleontologist asserts that "the brain did not evolve to do mathematics or organ music or produce Bach or Einstein: it evolved to solve everyday social problems faced by Paleolithic hunters and gatherers." He believes that Mother Teresa's brain could be interchangeable with Einstein's or Putin's.

The connectome, thalamus, hippocampus, or amygdala form a map leading this pair to Burgos Cathedral and profound reflection on God and light that will conclude their passionate journey into the depths of gray matter while enjoying roast lamb—including brains—in Ojeda.