Conjecture 1.8: Comparability and acuteness of problem signals across modalities

Characterize how problem signals, regardless of origin, are comparable when encoded in compatible chemical or electric forms at the same location, and ascertain that their acuteness is measurable by the magnitude of the signal.

Background

The authors propose a cross-modal prioritization principle: signals encoding problems can be compared directly when represented compatibly, with magnitude reflecting urgency. This supports hierarchical control where acute threats dominate behavior.

Establishing this would unify interoceptive and exteroceptive processing under a common measurement and prioritization scheme, consistent with observed reflexes and adaptive behaviors.