The working mechanism of information interaction in neural networks underlying consciousness and cognition

Human exploration of consciousness and cognition has persisted for decades, yet a universally accepted physical definition and formation mechanisms for these phenomena remain elusive. Against this backdrop, this work establishes a systematic theoretical framework from the perspectives of physics and informatics to define consciousness and cognition conceptually and elucidates their formation mechanisms, grounded in three foundational elements: the phenomenon of "information interaction", the "information interaction maximization" mechanism, and "velocity". The core hypothesis of this framework posits that information interaction maximization is the fundamental mechanism driving cosmic evolution. The framework further posits that: Consciousness and cognition in living organisms are fundamentally products of information interaction maximization; Human self-awareness arises from the integration of consciousness and cognition, manifesting as a coupled phenomenon of intrinsic velocity; At any given moment, the flow of information across parallel pathways, with spatiotemporal variations in velocity, gives rise to the experience of consciousness; The sustained flow of information through closed-loop pathways constitutes memory; Cognition is a dynamic process reflecting the interplay of consciousness and memory, characterized by explicit memory formation via the continuous flow of information through a sufficient number of closed-loop pathways equipped with consciousness and memory nodes. These pathways and the velocity of information flow within them are dynamically evolving, manifesting as coupling, plasticity, coordination, and causality—collectively forming a second-order system of consciousness and memory.