Very much enjoyed this essay.

I'm a neuroscientist, actively engaged with the problem of how brain cells produce feelings and thoughts. What you have pointed out is something that most of my colleagues gloss over: that there is not a one-to-one relationship between brain structure (or even brain activity) and the kinds of culturally recognizable cognitive performances that we can readily measure.

One minor correction: 50,000 years ago, our ancestors’ brains were a bit different than ours - they were almost 100 cm³ bigger