The above image was made with stable diffusion using the prompt 'a brain and a prism.'
The human brain is a prediction machine. It makes predictions about everything, likely because comparing predictions with incoming data is the most efficient way to process that data while adjusting internal models of the world. From a Science Daily piece on the subject:
For each word or sound, the brain makes detailed statistical expectations and turns out to be extremely sensitive to the degree of unpredictability: the brain response is stronger whenever a word is unexpected in the context. "By itself, this is not very surprising: after all, everyone knows that you can sometimes predict upcoming language. For example, your brain sometimes automatically 'fills in the blank' and mentally finishes someone else's sentences. But what we have shown here is that this happens continuously. Our brain is constantly guessing at words; the predictive machinery is always turned on."
One area where our predictive natures are on full display is music. We continually predict the rhythm and continually predict correctly, which makes our brains happy and relaxed. In this state, our brains are physically using less energy than they would be if the rhythm weren't predictable. As the quote above suggests, surprises require more energy to process.
All of this happens unconsciously by automated procedures. Consciously, a person can love surprises or discordant jazz, but unconsciously, their brains will still be making prediction after prediction about what's coming next. Incidentally, predicting what word comes next is the whole basis for GPT.
I'm not a scientist, so the finer points about dopamine rewards and prediction error signals are beyond me. Even so, I know when a word seems off in a piece of writing. Sometimes I can't even articulate why the word is wrong. To myself, I say that the it catches in my mind like a burr catches in hair. I feel like what I'm really doing in such instances is identifying points that might tax the resources of the reader more than necessary.
A similar thing happens with visual art. If I'm working on a piece, sometimes part of it catches in my mind and I have to smooth it out. This can be a color or shape or motif, but whatever it is, I sense that it's out of place. And I try to make it easier to look at.
Our conscious predictions about the future are of course another story. Here, we make predictions and then act to bring predicted outcomes about. Sometimes these predictions are organized into plans, but oftentimes they're less structured, showing up in casual contexts or as unconscious expectations. In my own life, I make a game out of making these unconscious expectations conscious.
When I was younger, I'd dream regularly of future events. A couple of those dreams were uncannily predictive, but most diverged significantly from what ended up happening. Still, the predictive ones were startling in their accuracy. It would be great to have such predictive acumen at my conscious disposal.
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