I believe the basic building blocks (prediction, pattern recognition, attention, etc.) give rise to the higher-level phenomenon that you mentioned. I think we need to first understand those fundamental principles, and we'll be able to infer most of the rest from that point.
Emergent phenomenon can seem complicated and impossible to understand, but the mechanisms that give rise to them are usually simple (for example, evolution creating diverse and intricate life).
Emergent phenomenon can seem complicated and impossible to understand, but the mechanisms that give rise to them are usually simple (for example, evolution creating diverse and intricate life).