Towards a Singularity? The Web as the Global Brain

-- By AlexanderWong? - 24 Feb 2012

Introduction

Modern technology has been responsible for tremendous changes within society and the world at large. Among the most significant developments is the net. The transformative effects of the net cannot be understated. It has facilitated the rapid flow, transfer, and storage of information in an unparalleled manner. Never before have physical limitations and boundaries meant so little with regards to the dissemination of ideas.

Yet beyond the immediate implications of information sharing is the possibility for something greater. The ability to connect people and ideas from across the world introduces the possibility of deeper collaboration through distributed intelligence. Such is the principle behind the Global Brain, the belief that the web can serve as a collective intelligence, linking distant populaces into a cohesive network of ideas, resulting in a sum that is far greater than its parts. The upshot would be the facilitation of an innovative, well informed, and interconnected global society with constant inflow and integration of new information at a rapid pace, ultimately resulting in decision making and analysis rising to the level of a collective consciousness.

Theoretical Background

The theoretical underpinnings to the Global Brain can be found from a number of sources, drawing inspiration from both philosophical and scientific observations.

Durkheim

Emile Durkheim's theories of collective consciousnesswas focused on social norms, such as religion, as the unifying elements that created

Nature

Within nature, scientists have observed behavior from individual organisms in which powerful eusocial bonds are formed, resulting in the creation of a larger superorganism, usually manifest in the form of a hive, nest, or colony. Within the dynamic of the superorganism, individual actors become interconnected parts of a larger social creation, with each part among millions contributing their own intelligence and efforts. The culmination of their efforts is a more powerful and efficient creation, far more capable of dealing with

The Net

Within the context of the net, a number of examples provide insights into

Semantic Web

The Semantic Web was an attempt to reach that ideal, as it sought to develop techniques to allow information to be parsed and catalogued with greater efficiency. The Semantic Web attempted to developed standardized formats to allow

Wikipedia

While the implementation of the Global Brain is still mostly a theoretical concept, already, resources like Wikipedia have shown the enormous potential of collective intelligence. Wikipedia presents a model of distributed intelligence that highlights the power of collaborative effort, while also emphasizing the value of global participation paired with constant reevaluation and rapid integration of newly acquired information.

Wikipedia's success is also tied to its format, in that it operates as a

Obstacles

To reach the Global Brain's vision of collective information consciousness through the net, a variety of obstacles must be addressed. These issues range from legal problems, such as speech restrictions and copyright controls to more practical

Freedom of Speech and Access to Information

It is clear that one of the foundational principles underlying the Global Brain is information. In that respect, the rules governing the dissemination of and access to information must be appropriately

Standardization

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