Swarm Intelligence

chapter

three

On Our Nonexistence as

Entities: The Social Organism

While human phenomenology by its nature

tends to aggrandize the individual’s contri-

bution, cognition and behavior can be

viewed through multiple “zoom angles” or

frames of reference that can provide insights

for understanding and explaining mental life

and intelligence. These perspectives range

from the microscopic to the cosmic, and

include consideration of the origin of life,

the dynamics of planetary ecology, and the

evolution of social behaviors. Modern think-

ers exploring the implications of these differ-

ent zoom angles have frequently turned to

computer simulations, robotics, and