Companies are much more like organisms than the planet is. Governments
are less like organisms, and the planet is less like an organism still.

Don Stockbauer wrote:
Maybe the deal is that cooperation comes with a highly advanced and
sophisticated Global Brain, which the present one does not have.  You
can't expect perfect cooperation of the subsystems at this point.
Perhaps the increase in the volume of communication automatically
brings about a more advanced GB.

Yes.  If we have a powerful global government, there will probably be
a global capital - with the biggest data centres and computing
infrastructure seen anywhere.

However, even then there will probably be other large cities, with
their own extensive computing facilities.

The speed of light is high - and communications costs are low -
but there are other issues - for example resource production and
transportation - it makes some sense to consume resources near to
where they are produced - and such forces have a decentralising
effect.

There's also the issue of meteorite strikes, terrorism and viruses.
While the Earth is our only home, best not to put all its eggs
in one basket.

So: the internet might have multiple "brains" for a while yet.

Maybe the deal is that cooperation comes with a highly advanced and
sophisticated Global Brain, which the present one does not have. You
can't expect perfect cooperation of the subsystems at this point.
Perhaps the increase in the volume of communication automatically
brings about a more advanced GB.

I keep falling back on the Primary Paradox of the Global Brain (PPGB)
as the reason why all our speculations are just that - each of us is
but one "neuron" out of 7 billion human "neurons". What chance does
one neuron have of reasoning about reality and getting it right?

Don Stockbauer wrote:
I keep falling back on the Primary Paradox of the Global Brain (PPGB)
as the reason why all our speculations are just that - each of us is
but one "neuron" out of 7 billion human "neurons".  What chance does
one neuron have of reasoning about reality and getting it right?

Right - but isn't that one of your points?  We are not alone - we
have the collective wisdom of mankind to draw on, and our peers to
check and correct us.  If we were alone, we might well never get
anywhere - but fortunately we have company.

On Aug 2, 4:47 am, Tim Tyler <seemy... at (no spam) googlemail.com> wrote:

Don Stockbauer wrote:
I keep falling back on the Primary Paradox of the Global Brain (PPGB)
as the reason why all our speculations are just that - each of us is
but one "neuron" out of 7 billion human "neurons".  What chance does
one neuron have of reasoning about reality and getting it right?

Right - but isn't that one of your points?  We are not alone - we
have the collective wisdom of mankind to draw on, and our peers to
check and correct us.  If we were alone, we might well never get
anywhere - but fortunately we have company.

Well, I guess you're right.  Whatever I come up with must "pass
muster" before the whole human race.  And the same goes for
everybody.  I guess what I'm trying to emphasize is how any one person
is dwarfed by humanity at large.  Perhaps a good point to let rest.

On Aug 2, 11:25 pm, Don Stockbauer <donstockba... at (no spam) hotmail.com> wrote:



On Aug 2, 4:47 am, Tim Tyler <seemy... at (no spam) googlemail.com> wrote:

Don Stockbauer wrote:
I keep falling back on the Primary Paradox of the Global Brain (PPGB)
as the reason why all our speculations are just that - each of us is
but one "neuron" out of 7 billion human "neurons".  What chance does
one neuron have of reasoning about reality and getting it right?

Right - but isn't that one of your points?  We are not alone - we
have the collective wisdom of mankind to draw on, and our peers to
check and correct us.  If we were alone, we might well never get
anywhere - but fortunately we have company.

Well, I guess you're right.  Whatever I come up with must "pass
muster" before the whole human race.  And the same goes for
everybody.  I guess what I'm trying to emphasize is how any one person
is dwarfed by humanity at large.  Perhaps a good point to let rest.

But there are many other facets of the global brain to debate.
Trouble is, at some point people demand proof, and for such a
supersystem with us humans as such tiny constituents of it, proof is
rare to nonexistent.

On Aug 3, 11:16 pm, Don Stockbauer <donstockba... at (no spam) hotmail.com> wrote:



On Aug 2, 11:25 pm, Don Stockbauer <donstockba... at (no spam) hotmail.com> wrote:

On Aug 2, 4:47 am, Tim Tyler <seemy... at (no spam) googlemail.com> wrote:

Don Stockbauer wrote:
I keep falling back on the Primary Paradox of the Global Brain (PPGB)
as the reason why all our speculations are just that - each of us is
but one "neuron" out of 7 billion human "neurons".  What chance does
one neuron have of reasoning about reality and getting it right?

Right - but isn't that one of your points?  We are not alone - we
have the collective wisdom of mankind to draw on, and our peers to
check and correct us.  If we were alone, we might well never get
anywhere - but fortunately we have company.

Well, I guess you're right.  Whatever I come up with must "pass
muster" before the whole human race.  And the same goes for
everybody.  I guess what I'm trying to emphasize is how any one person
is dwarfed by humanity at large.  Perhaps a good point to let rest.

But there are many other facets of the global brain to debate.
Trouble is, at some point people demand proof, and for such a
supersystem with us humans as such tiny constituents of it, proof is
rare to nonexistent.

Proof? You're putting the cart before the horse. How about a little
evidence for starters?

Does your nascent global brain have any properties/effects beyond
those of the network itself?

...
Is it a part of a larger system?

Maybe someday, if we achieve success at SETI.  Then communicating
planets around the galaxy might form a galactic brain, a scaled up
version of the global brain.

Actually, who knows or cares anymore?  Back to watering the trees in
this drought.

On Aug 3, 10:20 pm, Don Stockbauer <donstockba... at (no spam) hotmail.com> wrote:

...
Is it a part of a larger system?

Maybe someday, if we achieve success at SETI.  Then communicating
planets around the galaxy might form a galactic brain, a scaled up
version of the global brain.

Actually, who knows or cares anymore?  Back to watering the trees in
this drought.

I am more interested in my own brain than in any global brain.

JC

On Aug 3, 10:20 pm, Don Stockbauer <donstockba... at (no spam) hotmail.com> wrote:

...
Is it a part of a larger system?

Maybe someday, if we achieve success at SETI.  Then communicating
planets around the galaxy might form a galactic brain, a scaled up
version of the global brain.

Actually, who knows or cares anymore?  Back to watering the trees in
this drought.

I am more interested in my own brain than in any global brain.

On Aug 4, 2:53 am, casey <jgkjca... at (no spam) yahoo.com.au> wrote:

On Aug 3, 10:20 pm, Don Stockbauer <donstockba... at (no spam) hotmail.com> wrote:

...
Is it a part of a larger system?

Maybe someday, if we achieve success at SETI.  Then communicating
planets around the galaxy might form a galactic brain, a scaled up
version of the global brain.

Actually, who knows or cares anymore?  Back to watering the trees in
this drought.

I am more interested in my own brain than in any global brain.

I'll bet Don would feel the same way:

"I could while away the hours,
Conferrin' with the flowers,
Consultin' with the rain.
And my head I'd be scratchin'
While my thoughts were busy hatchin'
If I only had a brain"

(http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Wizard-of-Oz,-The.html)

On Aug 4, 1:53 am, casey <jgkjca... at (no spam) yahoo.com.au> wrote:

On Aug 3, 10:20 pm, Don Stockbauer <donstockba... at (no spam) hotmail.com> wrote:

...
Is it a part of a larger system?

Maybe someday, if we achieve success at SETI.  Then communicating
planets around the galaxy might form a galactic brain, a scaled up
version of the global brain.

Actually, who knows or cares anymore?  Back to watering the trees in
this drought.

I am more interested in my own brain than in any global brain.

Self-reference.  See Hofstadter.

On Aug 4, 9:42 am, Don Stockbauer <donstockba... at (no spam) hotmail.com> wrote:



On Aug 4, 1:53 am, casey <jgkjca... at (no spam) yahoo.com.au> wrote:

On Aug 3, 10:20 pm, Don Stockbauer <donstockba... at (no spam) hotmail.com> wrote:

...
Is it a part of a larger system?

Maybe someday, if we achieve success at SETI.  Then communicating
planets around the galaxy might form a galactic brain, a scaled up
version of the global brain.

Actually, who knows or cares anymore?  Back to watering the trees in
this drought.

I am more interested in my own brain than in any global brain.

Self-reference.  See Hofstadter.

Right! He's full of himself.

On Aug 2, 11:25=A0pm, Don Stockbauer <donstockba... at (no spam) hotmail.com> wrote:
On Aug 2, 4:47=A0am, Tim Tyler <seemy... at (no spam) googlemail.com> wrote:

Don Stockbauer wrote:
I keep falling back on the Primary Paradox of the Global Brain
(PPGB) as the reason why all our speculations are just that - each
of us is but one "neuron" out of 7 billion human "neurons". =A0What
chance doe=
s
one neuron have of reasoning about reality and getting it right?

Right - but isn't that one of your points? =A0We are not alone - we
have the collective wisdom of mankind to draw on, and our peers to
check and correct us. =A0If we were alone, we might well never get
anywhere - but fortunately we have company.

Well, I guess you're right. =A0Whatever I come up with must "pass
muster" before the whole human race. =A0And the same goes for
everybody. =A0I guess what I'm trying to emphasize is how any one
person is dwarfed by humanity at large. =A0Perhaps a good point to let
rest.

But there are many other facets of the global brain to debate.
Trouble is, at some point people demand proof, and for such a
supersystem with us humans as such tiny constituents of it, proof is
rare to nonexistent.