The Global Way

The Global Way

“The Way you can go
isn’t the real way
The name you can say
Isn’t the real way”
Tao Te Ching “, p1 Ch 1

For the first time in history instantaneous, verbal and visual contact, is becoming affordable for all. Those with power find the consequences hard to deal with. Knowledge empowers and social power is shifting from states to people.

A key feature of this is that by choosing who to interconnect with, and for what purpose, humans produce patterns of inter human connectivity directed to a purpose. These patterns are remarkably like those our mind generates between neurons to create the thoughts in our brain that direct our action.

The patterns we set up between human beings of like mind could be seen reasonably as super interconnectivity between the neurons of distinct brains. It is then a very short step to suggest that these patterns of human interconnectivity represent the embryonic thoughts of an evolving global super brain, Gaia’s brain.

It is to understand the processes leading to this we direct this book. Gaia’s brain is in infancy. How does it work? Why does it exist? What is our role in its being?
It is clear that clever ideas that please us, and make these more attainable, spread fast. Music, movies and some objects can be quickly and cheaply distributed.

This is evident to most for music and movies but not physical objects but the distribution of the latter can be supported digitally. Digital machines can be used to transmit their manufacturing instructions. This is evident for CDs and DVDs. This is knowledge sent on the Internet with its product manufactured on receipt.

Printed knowledge can be produced locally easier than it can be distributed. The Financial Times, the Herald Tribune, etc are available daily, worldwide. Similarly clothing, engineering and other components can be locally replicated.

So while we cannot transmute then transmit matter we can eliminate the need for transporting things made from it by transmitting the knowledge of how to make it. Complete assemblies, engines, transmissions or cars can be distributed this way using well placed replicate plants.

Some items based on living material can be distributed like this e.g. processed foods: coke, margarine and hamburgers. It is also possible for some products based on widely available living organisms such as yeast: beer, bread and some medicines. However it is not generally possible for living thing although one can transmit the know how to produce crops out of season or in unusual places. It also is possible to transmit the data required to alter them genetically. Then particular strains can be grown to specification without rootstock or seed.

As yet, raw materials and living things cannot be distributed like this. We ourselves cannot. “Beam me up Scotty” is a command beyond our competence. However what we know can and is transmitted and replicated easily.

to be continued