A Brief Excursion into Human Cognition

This book offers a concise exploration of human cognition, charting its historical development and revealing how disciplines such as neuroscience, linguistics, anthropology, the social sciences, and behavioral economics shape our understanding. Structured as a condensed handbook, it examines the core principles defining cognition while reflecting on how these insights influence AI advancements and social media interactions. Subsequent sections highlight how evolving cognitive research, combined with rapid AI growth, is driving a paradigm shift in how we perceive ourselves and our world. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives, the book also explores the possible unintended consequences of integrating such knowledge into everyday life. By illuminating emerging trends and potential future directions, it equips both specialists and non-specialists with a fresh lens on how cognition shapes—and is shaped by—technology and society. Dr. Hans K. Kankam is a practicing clinician in Switzerland and Germany, specializing in General Internal Medicine, Psychotherapy (CBT), Addiction, and Palliative Medicine. He earned his medical degree and completed his dissertation at Philipps University in Marburg an der Lahn, then went on to obtain an MBA from the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine.