Quote by Lewis Thomas

It is only when you watch the dense mass of thousands of ants, crowded together around the Hill, blackening the ground, that you begin to see the whole beast, and now you observe it thinking, planning, calculating. It is an intelligence, a kind of live computer, with crawling bits for its wits.

It is only when you watch the dense mass of thousands of ant

Summary

This quote suggests that the true complexity and intelligence of a group or society can only be fully understood when observed as a collective entity. By using the analogy of ants forming a densely packed mass, the quote highlights that individual ants may seem insignificant, but their combined actions exhibit a higher level of intelligence. It implies that when we shift our perspective and perceive the larger picture, we can better appreciate the strategic thinking and planning that occurs within a collective group, resembling the functionality of a "live computer."

Topics

Intelligence

By Lewis Thomas

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