The Origins of Human Stigmergic Problem Solving

Abstract

Chapter 7 traces the origin of human stigmergic problem-solving back to the invention of writing. Knowledge could now be stored, reused and made accessible to others. A human collective memory was established which also made it possible to develop more complex societies. However, it is the “copy-revolution” of the printing press that enables human stigmergy to be used at full scale throughout society. The reduced cost of making a book allowed for a much more flexible reuse and sharing of existing knowledge across wider geographical distances. All types of written knowledge could easily be copied and made accessible to many more readers. Human stigmergy evolved into new forms. Frozen stigmergic problem solving describes how existing solutions in book format were copied and reused at an unprecedented scale. The mass production of identical copies made it possible to spread the same message to everyone across large geographical areas. This led to a radical increase in available knowledge; people began to learn faster from each other because knowledge sharing was amplified. In addition, fluid stigmergic problem-solving describes how knowledge products were not only copied, but they were improved through new book editions and translated, which further spurred collective knowledge advancement.