5.8.2 Generating novel images: action or perception

The images that we can examine, even the earliest cave drawings, are the result of actions such as drawing or painting. There is not much evidence of image making capability by other species.

The images from the eye are presumably associated with information flow that is irreversible. In other words we cannot go from the inside and paint on the eye.

An interesting questions arises with dreams

• There is some evidence that animals dream. Cats, for instance, twitch and move in their sleep as if they are dreaming.
• For the moment we shall leave this as an open question.

Another question arises in associated with the generation of drawings and images that are not copied from observations

• A centaur is described as a combination of man and horse. Other mythical creatures are similar combinations.
• This phenomenon seems quite compatible with the generative capabilities of language.
• It is not clear, however, whether non-human species can generate novel images.