We tend to think of intelligence as something that only describes one individual. But it is also possible to describe all kinds of collectives as intelligent – whether we are talking about human social groups, insect pouches, or even the mysterious behavior of slime molds and virus.
Furthermore, could intelligence be observed on a much larger scale – perhaps an entire planet? In a newly published paper, a team of space scientists explores this tantalizing question, reaching some surprising conclusions about our own Earth.
“An open question is whether or not intelligence can operate on a planetary scale, and if so, how the transition to planetary-scale intelligence might occur and whether or not it has or is in our short-term horizon.” writing team.
They note that understanding these questions can help us steer the future of our planet; However, according to their own criteria, it looks like we’re not there yet.
“We don’t yet have the capability to respond communally in the best interests of the planet.” say astrophysicist Adam Frank of the University of Rochester.
“There is intelligence on Earth, but no planetary intelligence.”
According to the researchers, the emergence of technological intelligence on a planet – a common reference point in astrobiological research – should probably not be seen as something that happened. Of a planet but ke a planet.
In such an interpretation, the evolution of planetary intelligence would represent the acquisition and application of collective knowledge sets that operate across complex systems of different species at the same time, and in harmonious ways that benefit or sustain the entire biosphere.
Unfortunately – and obviously – humans and the Earth haven’t gotten to that point yet.
In fact, Frank and his co-authors say we’re only in the third stage of their hypothetical timeline for planetary intelligence development.
In the first stage, characteristic of a very early Earth, a planet with an ‘immature biosphere’ developed life, but there is an inadequate feedback loop between life and geophysical processes for the co-evolution of different types of life.
In the second stage, the ‘adult biosphere’ has developed.
Furthermore, a planet could become a third stage: an ‘immature technosphere’, where Earth currently resides. At this stage, technological activity has developed on the planet, but is not yet integrated in a sustainable manner with other systems, such as the physical environment.
However, if these tensions can be resolved, the immature technosphere has the opportunity to progress to its final stage: the ‘mature technosphere’, where the feedback loop between technological activity and other biogeochemical and biogeophysical states acts in harmony to ensure maximum stability and productivity of the full system. .
This ideal state is where Earth should strive to achieve, the researchers argue.
“Planets evolve through immature and mature stages, and planetary intelligence indicates when you reach a mature planet.” kata Frank.
“The million-dollar question is figuring out what planetary intelligence looks like and what it means for us in practice because we don’t yet know how to move into a mature technosphere.”
According to the researchers, we are currently on the brink, where our collective actions clearly have global consequences, but we are not yet in control of those consequences.
If, together with other forces on this planet, we can develop a balance in which the consequences can be controlled, we may eventually evolve – as a planet – to the next level.
“The transition to planetary intelligence, as we describe here, will have the hallmarks of intelligence operating on a planetary scale,” researchers write in their papers.
“Such planetary intelligence would be able to direct Earth’s future evolution, acting in harmony with planetary systems and guided by a deep understanding of such systems.”
This paper was published in International Astrobiological Journal.
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