An operating system configured to support cognitive capable environments is described. The system comprises a memory structure and an I/O process configured to update inputs and outputs. The operating system further includes a process to determine changes to symbols within the symbol space due to the stimulus and create STM images of the inputs. Additional processes are configured to pass stimulations between connecting symbols, measure temporal and spatial properties of images, filter the STM images based upon the properties, and propagate stimuli through hereditary structures. Further processes analyze propagated symbol groups of STM images for novel distinctions, create new symbols, connect novel stimuli together for symbol groupings, update existing symbols to include connections to the new symbols, and assign weights to the connections. Additional processes form stimulus-response pairs from received images, provide time-based erosion of connection weights of symbols and adapt learned responses to long term memories.