Wayfinding.
I listened to the a16z podcast on spatial intelligence this morning, and it reminded me of Michael Bond’s book Wayfinding. I stumbled across it on a trip to the UK a couple of years ago and spent the next two weeks deep in thought.
Wayfinding digs into how we, as humans, navigate the world around us. Bond blends science, history, and personal anecdotes to show how our brains naturally handle wayfinding—and what’s happening as we increasingly rely on GPS and technology. From ancient explorers to modern-day commuters, the book explores how navigation isn’t just about getting from A to B; it’s about how we understand and interact with our surroundings.
One of the most fascinating sections of the book explores the connection between the evolution of the human brain and our spatial and navigation skills. There’s compelling research to suggest that language may have developed by leveraging the same neural hardware our ancestors used for navigation. For instance, the hippocampus, which plays a key role in spatial memory, also supports our ability to structure and recall language. Early humans may have used these spatial skills to describe their environment—whether pointing out a hunting path or marking the location of resources—laying the groundwork for more complex communication systems like language.
Cognitive scientists have also noted how mental mapping—the way we create mental representations of physical spaces—relates to how we organize thoughts and structure language. Both require constructing and navigating abstract relationships, whether mapping terrain or building sentences. The brain regions responsible for spatial thinking may have been repurposed over time to support language development, showing just how interconnected these abilities are.
Bond goes on to discuss how modern tools might be affecting our ability to think spatially. Sure, GPS is convenient, but what are we losing by not navigating with our brains anymore? Some studies suggest that the overuse of digital navigation may weaken our spatial awareness. As we rely more on devices to guide us, we engage less with the environment, potentially impacting parts of the brain critical for memory and orientation.
