THE ARCHITECTURE OF INTELLIGENCE: WHAT BASAL COGNITION TEACHES US ABOUT TEACHING AND LEARNING
Abstract
This paper proposes an intersection between evolutionary biology, biophysics, and pedagogical practice, grounded in the concept of basal cognition and mitochondrial autonomy. It argues that the capacity to process information is not exclusive to the central nervous system but an intrinsic property of cellular bioelectric networks. The methodology involved a systematic review following a chronological timeline, ranging from retrograde signaling theories to 2025 breakthroughs regarding the mitochondrial quantum engine and bio-electromagnetic fields. By transposing this "cellular collective intelligence" into the educational context, it analyzes how media literacy represents a modern extension of the biological need to discern signals from noise. The analysis of professional English lesson plans suggests that teaching reading strategies mimics ancestral biological processes of adaptation. It concludes that education, by aligning with mitochondrial data-processing dynamics and plasticity, enhances cognitive resilience in complex digital ecosystems.
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