Cognition Across Life: From Cells to Consciousness

The Kuruom School of Advanced Sciences (KSAS) Annual Symposium 2026 Proceedings: Cognition Across Life – From Cells to Consciousness (was held from February 6-8, 2026) brings together leading interdisciplinary perspectives on the emerging field of cognitive biology. This volume explores how cognition arises, evolves, and manifests across diverse living systems—from unicellular organisms and plants to animals, humans, and bio-inspired artificial systems. The proceedings feature scholarly papers and discussions addressing fundamental questions about minimal cognition, evolutionary origins of intelligence, cellular and molecular information processing, environmental influences on cognition, and the future of synthetic and artificial cognitive architectures. Designed for researchers, students, and professionals in biology, cognitive science, neuroscience, philosophy, and artificial intelligence, this collection highlights innovative research and theoretical developments that challenge traditional views of cognition as a phenomenon limited to brains and nervous systems. As the field of cognitive biology continues to expand, this volume offers a timely and comprehensive resource for understanding cognition as a fundamental characteristic of life itself. Based on presentations and contributions from the 2026 KSAS Annual Symposium, it provides valuable insights into one of the most exciting interdisciplinary areas of modern science.