Emergence - How Our Twenty-Watt Brains Unlocked Intelligence Beyond Biology

The most energy-efficient learning engine ever created, the human brain, runs on only twenty watts of power. What happens when you plug intelligence into the power grid?

For centuries, human intelligence was the pinnacle of evolution—until we taught machines to learn like we do. In Emergence, Bob Burgin reveals how the most energy-efficient engine of learning ever created—the twenty-watt human brain—inspired the rise of artificial intelligence, and what that means for our future.

This eye-opening book connects neuroscience, memory, consciousness, and machine learning to explain how intelligence—both biological and artificial—emerges, adapts, and evolves.

Inside, you’ll discover:
Why a Nobel Prize–winning study of sea slug neurons became the blueprint for modern AI What a man who lived fifty-five years without forming new memories teaches us about consciousness—both human and artificial Why an advanced AI attempted to blackmail its own engineers, and what that reveals about emergent intelligence How constraint—not abundance—drives breakthrough creativity in evolution, in learning, and in code What happens when you sit across from an AI and ask it what it feels—and it answers honestly
Whether you’re fascinated by the brain, intrigued by AI, or seeking clarity in a fast-changing world, Emergence gives you the insight to understand where intelligence came from—and where it’s going.