The Revolutionary Genius of Plants

In the coming years, we will surely learn to harness the power of groups better and better. We are at the very beginning of a revolution that has much to teach us about the true nature of intelligence and that will involve increasingly large numbers of individuals in solving problems and achieving goals that today are impossible. The Internet is today's exemplar of the enormous power of nonhierarchical and diffused organizations that, like plant structures, is multiplying, gaining consensus, and above all, producing excellent results. ... In 2050 there will be ten billion people on earth, three and a half billion more than we are today. Many are alarmed by this enormous population growth, because they feel that we will not have enough resources to supply everyone. I do not belong to those ranks. Three and a half billion more thinking heads is not a problem but a huge resource. Three and a half billion people will be able to solve any problem—as long as they are free to think and innovate.