What is it that makes us human? Do our minds set us apart from the rest of the world? Is Earth a collective mind of its own? The last question might sound ridiculous.

A new thought experiment explores it more deeply, and while there is no firm conclusion about humanity and a planetary mind, just thinking about it invites minds to reconsider their relationship with nature.

Our challenges require a better understanding of ourselves and nature, and the same is true for any other civilization that makes it past the Great Filter.

Sometimes humanity is proud of itself. We've built a more-or-less global civilization, we've wiped out deadly diseases, and we've traveled to the moon. We are so smart that we are taking steps to protect Earth from the type of impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. That is only one perspective.

We are still primitive according to another perspective. Billions of us are in the grip of ancient superstitions. We are haunted by that nuclear war. We still do horrible animalistic things to each other because of tribalism. We aren't wise enough to manage our own technological advancement.

Both perspectives are valid. We are not as primitive as we used to be, but we are nowhere near as mature as we need to be if we want to persist beyond the Great Filter.

The Juno spacecraft took this image of Earth during a gravity assist flyby of our planet in 2013. The fact that we can make a spacecraft take a picture of our home planet is a sign of intelligence. But how intelligent are we really? Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill.

Can we explain what stage we are at in our development? The authors think they can. They think we can only do that if we take into account Earth's planetary history, the collective mind, and the state of our technology.

Three scientists wrote an article in the International Journal of Astrobiology. The authors are from the University of Rochester, the Planetary Science Institute, and the Arizona State University. The article is a thought experiment based on our scientific understanding of Earth and questions about how life has changed and continues to change the planet.

Intelligence is seen as a property by humans. It is also a property belonging to collectives. Social insects use their collective intelligence to make decisions. The idea of intelligence is extended to the planetary scale by the authors.

Earth's life forms have been divided into species. We know evolution drove the development of these species. Is there something missing in our urge to classify? Is it better to view life as a planetary species? Each species appeared in an ongoing chain of evolution. The origins of the original species remain a mystery. All species are in the same place. It is often said that the rest of us are only here because ofbacteria.

It is worthwhile to recall the work of Vladimir Vernadsky. Vernadsky was a pioneer of biogeochemistry. biogeochemistry is a scientific discipline that studies the chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes and reactions that govern the composition of the natural environment.

Vernadsky realized that the Earth's non-living systems are linked to the biosphere system. It is difficult to understand the biosphere without looking at how it is linked with other systems. The linkage allows the biosphere to shape Earth.

The matter of the biosphere is activated by radiation and converts solar energy into free energy that can be used on Earth. A new character is created on the planet. The radiations that pour upon the Earth cause the biosphere to take on properties unknown to lifeless planetary surfaces, and thus transform the face of the Earth.

The authors point out how organisms changed the environment. Individual lifeforms used the ability to photosynthesize to their advantage. Earth's atmosphere was oxygenated by them in the Great Oxygenation event. For more complex life, the photosynthesizers opened a pathway for their own continuation. It changed the course of evolution and the geology of the planet. Collective activity of organisms is similar to collective intelligence.

This figure from the article illustrates multi-level networks as a property of planetary-scale operation of intelligence. Each layer of the coupled planetary systems constitutes its own network of chemical and physical interactions. Specific nodes in each layer represent links connecting the layers. Thus, the geosphere contains chemical/physical networks associated with processes such as atmospheric circulation, evaporation, condensation and weathering. These are modified by the biosphere via additional networks of processes such as microbial chemical processing and leaf transpiration. The technosphere adds an additional layer of networked processes such as industrial-scale agriculture, manufacturing byproducts and energy generation. Image Credit: Frank et al. 2022.
This figure from the article illustrates multi-level networks as a property of planetary-scale operation of intelligence. Each layer of the coupled planetary systems constitutes its own network of chemical and physical interactions. Specific nodes in each layer represent links connecting the layers. Thus, the geosphere contains chemical/physical networks associated with processes such as atmospheric circulation, evaporation, condensation and weathering. These are modified by the biosphere via additional networks of processes such as microbial chemical processing and leaf transpiration. The technosphere adds an additional layer of networked processes such as industrial-scale agriculture, manufacturing byproducts and energy generation. Image Credit: Frank et al. 2022.

Making sense of how a planet's intelligence might be defined and understood helps shine a little light on the future of this planet.

Universe Today readers will not be shocked by that.

Collective activity changes the planet according to the authors. They base their experiment on the idea that the Earth's non-biological systems interact with living systems to keep the planet in a state of equilibrium. The Earth wouldn't be a good place to live without the collective intelligence of the biological world.

An example from forests is used by the authors.

Earth's great forests couldn't exist without the network ofycorrhizal fungi. In the forest, tree roots interact with the network. The carbon is given to the fungi. Without this network, the trees couldn't survive.

Mycorrhizal fungi are in a symbiotic relationship with plants. The relationship is usually mutualistic, the fungus providing the plant with water and minerals from the soil and the plants providing the fungus with photosynthesis products. Parasitic organisms are also part of the network. Image Credit: By Charlotte Roy, Salsero35, Nefronus - Adapted from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:R%C3%A9seau_mycorhizien.svg, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=92921450
Mycorrhizal fungi are in a symbiotic relationship with plants. The relationship is usually mutualistic, the fungus providing the plant with water and minerals from the soil and the plants providing the fungus with photosynthesis products. Parasitic organisms are also part of the network. Image Credit: By Charlotte Roy, Salsero35, Nefronus – Adapted from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:R%C3%A9seau_mycorhizien.svg, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=92921450

Plants produce oxygen that we need to breathe. We couldn't survive without the help of photosynthetic organisms. The planet is changed by the collective activity of the plant world. In our short time on Earth, we have developed technology which is the most powerful expression of our collective planetary intelligence. What does that mean for the planet?

The idea of collective planetary intelligence as the stages of Earth's development evolve is discussed by the authors.

“Planets evolve through immature and mature stages, and planetary intelligence is indicative of when you get to a mature planet.”

Adam Frank, co-author, “Intelligence as a planetary scale process.”

The first stage is immature. Billions of years ago the Earth was immature. bacteria couldn't exert much force on Earth's planetary systems. There was no feedback between life and the planet because of this. There wasn't any collective intelligence.

The second stage was a mature biosphere. It was about 2.5 billion to 540 million years ago. Plants appeared after photosynthesis. The atmosphere and ozone layer were created by photosynthesis. The Earth was being made more hospitable by life. The authors are talking about collective planetary intelligence.

Earth's immature biosphere and mature biosphere stages. The mature biosphere stage was only possible once photosynthetic organisms created feedback with Earth's non-biological processes, oxygenating the atmosphere and creating an ozone layer. Image Credit: University of Rochester illustration / Michael Osadciw
Earth’s immature biosphere and mature biosphere stages. The mature biosphere stage was only possible once photosynthetic organisms created feedback with Earth’s non-biological processes, oxygenating the atmosphere and creating an ozone layer. Image Credit: University of Rochester illustration / Michael Osadciw

According to the authors, the third stage is where we are now. We live in a technoosphere that is immature. Our communication, transportation, electrical, and governmental networks are all connected into a technosphere. A quick look at headlines in consumer tech media shows how excited we can be about what we've created. It is wise not to get too excited. Why?

Our technosphere is not linked to natural systems. The technoosphere ignores the impact on the Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and biosphere. Fossil fuels are pushed into the atmosphere in an unregulated way. The danger is that this technological immaturity will force the Earth's systems into a state that endangers the technoosphere. The technoosphere is working against itself.

There is a workable future in the fourth stage. Our technological intelligence benefits the Earth in a mature technosphere. Solar energy will help the climate regulate itself and maintain its habitability by replacing fossil fuels. The Earth's soil systems will be strengthened by technological agriculture. We will use our technology to build cities that coexist with natural systems. There are a lot of unknowns.

Earth's immature technosphere and mature technosphere stages. The mature technosphere stage will be possible when we use our technology to maintain Earth's life-supporting systems rather than to degrade them. Image Credit: University of Rochester illustration / Michael Osadciw
Earth’s immature technosphere and mature technosphere stages. The mature technosphere stage will be possible when we use our technology to maintain Earth’s life-supporting systems rather than to degrade them. Image Credit: University of Rochester illustration / Michael Osadciw

Frank says in a press release that planetary intelligence is indicative of when you get to a mature planet.

The trees and the mycorrhizal network in forests are examples of systems interacting in mutually beneficial ways. A network of feedback loops would work to maintain habitability. This would be a completely new arrangement and the complexity would allow new capabilities to emerge. One hallmark of a mature technosphere is the emerging capabilities. Self-maintenance is another.

This figure from the article is a schematic representation of the evolution of coupled planetary systems in terms of degrees of planetary intelligence. The authors propose five possible properties required for a world to show cognitive activity operating across planetary scales (i.e. planetary intelligence). These are: (1) emergence, (2) dynamics of networks, (3) networks of semantic information, (4) appearance of complex adaptive systems, (5) autopoiesis. Different degrees of these properties appear as a world evolves from abiotic (geosphere) to biotic (biosphere) to technologic (technosphere). Image Credit: Frank et al. 2022.
This figure from the article is a schematic representation of the evolution of coupled planetary systems in terms of degrees of planetary intelligence. The authors propose five possible properties required for a world to show cognitive activity operating across planetary scales (i.e. planetary intelligence). These are: (1) emergence, (2) dynamics of networks, (3) networks of semantic information, (4) appearance of complex adaptive systems, (5) autopoiesis. Different degrees of these properties appear as a world evolves from abiotic (geosphere) to biotic (biosphere) to technologic (technosphere). Image Credit: Frank et al. 2022.

The biosphere figured out how to host life by itself billions of years ago by creating systems for moving around nitrogen and carbon.

There are some signs that we're moving towards a mature technoosphere, but they're mostly crisis driven. After scientists found a hole in the ozone layer, we banned the class of chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons. Acid rain is caused by nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide and we have developed international agreements to limit them after scientists found that acid rain damages soil, trees, fish and other aquatic animals. Many countries banned the use of DDT when scientists found that it continued in the environment and led to population declines in birds of prey.

This figure from the article shows timescales for interventions at different proposed levels of planetary intelligence. For so-called ‘mature biospheres’, feedbacks or interventions occur across a range of timescales from decades (DMS ((dimethyl sulphide) ocean temperature regulation) to millions of years for CH4 climate regulation. For ‘immature technospheres’ where the feedbacks or interventions are inadvertent, timescales occur on decades to century timescales. For ‘mature technospheres’ interventions are intentional and designed to maintain the sustainability of both the biosphere and the technosphere as a coupled system. Ozone replenishment and climate mitigation would occur on decades to century timescales while intentional changes in stellar evolution (if possible) would define the longest timescales at tens to hundreds of millions of years. Image Credit: Frank et al. 2022.
This figure from the article shows timescales for interventions at different proposed levels of planetary intelligence. For so-called ‘mature biospheres’, feedbacks or interventions occur across a range of timescales from decades (DMS ((dimethyl sulphide) ocean temperature regulation) to millions of years for CH4 climate regulation. For ‘immature technospheres’ where the feedbacks or interventions are inadvertent, timescales occur on decades to century timescales. For ‘mature technospheres’ interventions are intentional and designed to maintain the sustainability of both the biosphere and the technosphere as a coupled system. Ozone replenishment and climate mitigation would occur on decades to century timescales while intentional changes in stellar evolution (if possible) would define the longest timescales at tens to hundreds of millions of years. Image Credit: Frank et al. 2022.

Progress has been made towards planetary intelligence. Most of the successes are the result of previous bad behavior. Is it possible to be more proactive?

Maybe we are starting to. We are developing systems to detect, catalogue, and divert dangerous asteroids that pose a collision hazard. We can protect our civilization from calamity if we can do that. NASA launched a technology demonstration mission in 2021. If we can use technology to protect the planet, that is a step towards a mature technosphere.

We have a long way to go and this thought experiment can help us think more clearly about it.

Is the development of planetary intelligence and a mature technosphere hallmarks of civilizations that make it past the Great Filter? Frank has other work in the search for alien technosignatures on distant exoplanets.

The ones that didn't kill themselves are the ones we should expect to see.

Anthropogenic Global Warming is the biggest threat to a sustainable biosphere. We can debate what drives us to want more stuff, consume more stuff and create more pollution, but the debate about AGW itself is over. It is happening and we are causing it.

There are some signs of planetary intelligence that are flickering on the horizon. We have a long way to go. Will we be able to make it past the Great Filter?

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Earthplanetary intelligenceplanetarymature technosphere
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