filtering and _acting_ on this condensed information.

For example: lighting strucks a tree, a fire starts. Man is scared but that night is very cold and near the tree is warmer. This happens a few times, und a branch falls and it is collected , incidentally is thrown on another pile of wood , starts burning -> idea of fire is formulated and since them man keeps warm.

Or: man finds shiny things in a river bed, collects them, one day the whole shack burns from lighting, and discovers that the shiny thigs are now in a different shape -> metal working is born.