Swarm Theory

Is simply the collective intelligence of a group of individuals acting in unison.

Flocks of birds and schools of fish change direction simultaneously, seemingly without leadership and without collision: collaborative decision-making based on consensus. One individual begins to change direction, using information not yet available to others on the far side of the group. Proximate individuals, thinking for themselves and maintaining relative distance, decide to follow, altering course. Direction change spreads at the speed of thought or reaction.

Swarm behavior is being closely studied in ants, but I see profound implications for human social change.

For the first time in the history of Homo sapiens all humanity faces one problem: protecting our global ecosystem. This problem is multifaceted — climate change, overpopulation, fundamentalist religion clashes, resource wars — but can be reduced to a single root cause: unsustainablility.

Earth is a closed system, whose only outside input is energy from the sun. An accurate metaphor is one of a fragile "terrarium" traveling through space. The system self-regulates and self-perpetuates unless equilibrium is disturbed: a meteor hits (outside energy), or one component (inside energy) disturbs the balance...viral pandemic, or humans redistributing resources, for example.

The opposite of unsustainability is sustainability. Because human survival depends upon this planetary system, our only rational philosophy is one of ecological sustainability: every human individuals' time alive on earth should improve — rather than detract from — the environment. Education, technology, and effective renewable resource management makes this goal possible.

But we've never deliberately collaborated as a species before, on a global level.

Our obstacle is both problems and solutions cross geographic, cultural and economic borders. Political systems are designed to protect national interests. Governments are powerful, but slow to react, and slower to change direction. Religions are based on faith and intangible reward, rather than immediate practical survival needs. We need a form of inter-cultural communication — an ideavirus — to transcend our self-absorbed individual perspectives.

Swarm theory.

We need to somehow act as a single swarm to pull our governments, religions, economics toward sustainability.

The internet could help make it possible, of course.

Films such as An Inconvenient Truth, and 11th Hour hint toward what is needed, but effective worldwide communication will require much more.

Al Gore's personality is probably too polarizing for effective politics, but I believe he has intuitively grasped swarm theory and is using it to affect climate change awareness. Working beyond politics, through film and music (LiveEarth), he is far quicker and likely more effective. Al...thank you for recognizing your strengths and limits, and for your climate change awareness efforts.

We — humans — need to think even bigger. Faster.

How?