Emanuel's blog

Following the progression of historical epochs, the intelligence of people has increased approximately linearly. However, when time reached the industrial revolution the world met a tipping point: collective intelligence began to increase exponentially.

This is truly interesting. A child thirty years ago would be considered retarded today; increased life quality leads to a higher IQ, which is embodied in the brain (the Flynn effect). But what does it really mean, an increased collective intelligence? What are potential consequences?

The industrial revolution essentially brought the possibility for alternative occupations to the common man, a shift from purely life-sustaining labour to self actualization. Universities were founded, wealth created and life expectancy increased. Concepts such as “choice” and “spare time” were invented. The upper half of Maslow’s pyramid was given existence.

But the industrial revolution is history now. Instead, another social revolution is emerging — a natural next step for the development of the grassroots. It has to do both with information, and the distribution of it. I think the next lifestyle changing development will emerge from a world with a more evenly distributed intelligence, and thus a much greater aggregate. A smarter mob.

To reach it, there are two often overlooked concepts that need to be reconsidered:

1. The importance of “everybody”
No matter how superior the west (and Asia) could be over, let’s say Africa, it is of no worth whatsoever. Not until everybody is on the train, can the population evolve further. Why? Simply because the dependence of a poor nation and a rich nation goes both ways — the rich nation can never truly excel until the poor nation is brought out of poverty.

2. The importance of development
In many places in China, you won’t get a decent job unless you have a PhD. In India there are engineers working in call centers. There is an inflation within education. “Too many are too well educated”. Yes, all this is true, but the positive aspects of it are overlooked. This situation is new, but when it has matured I strongly believe that a much greater set of problems will be possible to address. Simply because more people know more, giving way to more solutions to more problems. Also, if there is one thing the world can not have enough of, it’s knowledge.

Any argument against development will always break. History taught us this.

Therefore, it is of great importance that more people educate themselves. That internet remains free from regulations and corporate interests. That access to internet is given to every person on the planet. That governments increase transparency and thus opening up for crowdsourcing. And especially that the poor nations once and for all can work for increased life quality, instead of sustained life. The answers exist, see for example Copenhagen Consensus.

The fantastic heights of which today’s well-developed civilization has reached, is much due to an aggressive playing of the Prisoner’s dilemma. Great advances at great costs. Short-term thinking in favour for long-sightedness. However, in reaching the next height the game has to be played cooperatively.

All of the above boil down to one question: what will happen when the collective intelligence reaches its tipping point? What happens when information is even more integrated into even more people? What happens when 99% of earth’s population can solve mathematical equations in minutes, and look up facts in seconds?

What happens when we reach the point of a social singularity?

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