Breakpoint

How can the internet grow smarter as it shrinks, mirroring the efficiency of the human brain?

1. Networks Amplify Success Through Collective Intelligence

Living in a networked, structured system has far-reaching benefits for survival and efficiency. Whether it's humans, ants, or bees, these species thrive because their combined capabilities far outweigh the capacity of any individual. Just like cake ingredients are mediocre alone but transform when combined, individuals in a network create results far beyond their solo capacity.

Social species dominate the planet because of their ability to combine effort and expertise. Ants, despite their tiny and simple brains boasting only 250,000 cells, achieve remarkable feats. Together, they build sophisticated nests, develop farming systems, and maintain public health through collective work. Though they lack individual brilliance, their group intelligence ensures survival.

This same advantage of group effort applies to humans. Our ability to collaborate creates civilizations, innovations, and systems that no solitary human could achieve. Whether it's creating skyscrapers or mapping genomes, the collaborative power of networks drives significant progress.

Examples

• Ant colonies, with limited brainpower, build complex agricultural societies.
• Bees, through collective effort, create hives that supply food and shelter.
• Human societies, relying on specialization and shared labor, have built vast cities and technological systems.

2. Networks Evolve Through Growth, Breakpoints, and Stability

Every network develops through three predictable phases, much like the human brain or an ant colony. The first phase, growth, involves an intense, rapid expansion phase where resources are consumed. For example, a fetus develops 250,000 brain cells every minute in the womb to prepare for life outside.

The second stage, the breakpoint, occurs when initial rapid growth becomes unsustainable. A network must surpass its ideal size before recognizing it and adjusting accordingly. This process, though messy, enables a system to prune and refine itself. For instance, overgrown ant colonies alleviate crowding by sending some members off to establish new colonies.

Finally, the third stage, equilibrium, allows the network to stabilize at the right size. Each network finds its own balance based on its needs and environment. A sea slug’s modest network needs only 18,000 neurons, while a cat relies on a network of 1 trillion neurons for its functions.

Examples

• Brain development in fetuses undergoes an extraordinary burst of growth early.
• Ant colonies manage overcrowding by reproducing elsewhere.
• Varied animal brains stabilize at different sizes depending on environmental demands.

3. Growth Is Vital, but Quality Defines Lasting Value

A balance between size and quality shapes any network's success. While small networks lack the ability to achieve much, oversized ones waste resources or become inefficient. A successful network grows to its optimal size before shifting focus from expansion to refining quality.

For example, the human brain reaches peak neural connections by age five, with approximately 1,000 trillion links. However, many of these connections are unnecessary. As humans grow, the brain prunes itself, leaving behind only vital connections, resulting in efficient and specialized functionality.

Similarly, dinosaur extinction highlights the problem with unchecked size. Despite their great physical stature, dinosaurs couldn't sustain themselves, whereas smaller creatures like rodents thrived by optimizing resources. Networks that rely more on quality than quantity become smarter and more sustainable.

Examples

• Human brains lose unnecessary neural connections to become more focused and efficient.
• Ant colonies optimize by removing redundant members or excess infrastructure.
• Dinosaurs’ massive size was a disadvantage during environmental stress, unlike efficient smaller species.

4. Communication and Self-Organization Are Essential

For any network to thrive, effective communication and self-organization are central. Networks don’t need a controlling leader; instead, decentralized systems allow members to decide and act, leading to efficient results. Ant colonies exemplify this, with their queen focused only on egg-laying while the worker ants make their own decisions.

Communication fuels these self-organized systems. Ants use chemical signals (pheromones) to exchange information about food or threats. Humans rely on language for organizing labor and cooperation. Similarly, the internet spreads knowledge freely among users, allowing organic growth.

This idea of communication being the bedrock of advancement is mirrored by human evolution, where language allows increasingly complex coordination. The invention of peaceful debate (as Freud said, "the first insult instead of a stone") began human civilization.

Examples

• Ant colonies operate seamlessly without micromanagement by a leader.
• Wikipedia uses crowd-sourcing without a central overseeing body, creating a massive knowledge base.
• Language enabled humans to organize societies and move beyond survival-based living.

5. The Internet Mirrors Organic Network Growth

The internet has comparable growth cycles to biological networks. In its beginning stages, it expanded exponentially. For a vivid comparison, growth data shows that in less than two decades, the number of websites went from zero in 1993 to over 600 million by 2012.

However, the internet hit its breakpoint as content and websites became too vast to manage effectively. Users began to shift from web browsing on computers to quicker, easier apps. This behavior indicates that the internet must simplify and restructure to sustain its usability and reach equilibrium.

Like natural networks, energy is a limiting factor for the internet. Current estimates show growing energy use for the web could take an alarming toll on global power resources, potentially leading to either collapsed networks or disastrous environmental consequences.

Examples

• In 1993, the internet had no websites; by 2012, there were 600 million.
• Increasing reliance on user-friendly apps marks a shift from raw internet surfing.
• By 2030, the energy demands of the internet could comprise 20% of global consumption.

6. Our Brain and the Internet Show Striking Similarities

The internet and the human brain fundamentally operate in similar ways. Google’s search engine works much like our brain’s recall function. Sites with more and higher-quality links rank higher in searches, just as neurons with more interconnections are activated faster in our brain.

Technology is bringing the brain and the internet closer. Research is looking at merging computer systems directly with the human mind. A paralytic woman has already moved robotic arms simply by using her thoughts, signaling the potential for deeper integration.

As computers adopt neural networks similar to ours (like Spaun’s neural system), there is a growing possibility for the internet to resemble actual thinking networks. Future advancements could allow the web to act as an extension of human intelligence.

Examples

• Google relies on interconnected networks to prioritize information, like the brain.
• Paralytic patients control robotic limbs via direct brain-computer interfaces.
• Spaun, an artificial neural network, mimics brain-like processes in computing.

7. A Shrinking Internet Could Grow Smarter

As the internet continues its refinement journey, shrinking its size and focusing on quality could make it a smarter, more intuitive tool. Just as human brains remove excess neural connections for efficiency, the web could streamline itself for better user experience.

Fewer, more meaningful online resources can lead to increased use of structured, reliable knowledge. This evolution could make the internet function more cohesively, becoming a trusted counterpart to human intelligence.

This refined state might bring us to a world where the internet predicts our needs and seamlessly integrates with our daily lives, much like an external brain for humans.

Examples

• Human brains reduce excess neurons to improve thinking and memory precision.
• Web apps like Google prioritize ease of use over raw content size.
• Smarter, refined systems could improve usability and global connectivity.

8. Decentralization Supports Stability

Networks that operate decentralized often prove more resilient and adaptable. Humans have modeled countless systems, from communal governance to open-source platforms, after naturally occurring decentralized organizations like ant colonies.

For example, Wikipedia’s success stems from widespread crowd-sourced contributions rather than centralized governance. This resilience allows networks worldwide to grow and adapt through shared autonomy rather than central control.

Decentralization fuels innovation and stability, ensuring that tasks can continue even without specific leaders in place.

Examples

• Ant colonies distribute tasks widely without micromanaging workers.
• Wikipedia thrives using contributions from millions of independent users.
• Open-source platforms like Linux evolve through voluntary participation.

9. Technology Is Moving Toward Merging with Minds

Science is paving the way for systems like the internet to merge with human capabilities. From thought-powered devices to increasingly sophisticated AI, the future holds a reality where humans and networks operate in tandem.

Already, technologies enabling remote physical control via thoughts are in use, and researchers continue to explore how to expand this. Fully integrating the web with human thought would create never-before-seen advancements.

This merging has potential to redefine education, health, communication, and how humans understand their place in the world.

Examples

• Robotic arms can be controlled directly via brain implants.
• Spaun explores using neural modeling for artificial intelligence.
• Seamless web interaction could create the ultimate personal assistant for users.

Takeaways

1. Explore how decentralization increases efficiency by examining systems like Wikipedia and ant colonies.
2. Consider how using quality over quantity improves any effort, from personal skills to professional networks.
3. Follow developments in brain-computer connections and think about their role in future problem-solving.