A hierarchy of computing modules is configured to learn a cause of input data sensed over space and time, and is further configured to determine a cause of novel sensed input data dependent on the learned cause. Further, the hierarchy has a first level of computing modules and a second level of at least one computing module, where at least one of the computing modules in the first level is configured to receive a portion of the novel sensed input data, and where the computing module in the first level is further capable of determining a possible cause of the novel sensed input data dependent on analyzing only a subset of the portion of the novel sensed input data.