The Knowledge Illusion #4

Continuing about The Knowledge Illusion:

In nature we often see complex behavior arise through the coordination of multiple individuals. When multiple cognitive systems work together, group intelligence can emerge that goes beyond what each individual is capable of. The authors give a beehive as an example. Wolves in packs and lions in a pride after prey are others. Historically hunting was a communal enterprise requiring a level of cooperation unique to humans. Consider the variety of trades that participate in building a home.

Living in a group also demands certain cognitive abilities. It requires the ability to communicate in sophisticated ways, to understand and incorporate the perspectives of others, and to share common goals. Humans have an ability that no machine or other animal does. They can share their attention with someone else. Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky made pioneering insights into the idea of a community of knowledge.

There is teamwork in many human efforts, such as the medical health professions. People tend to remember what they have to within a particular community to best make their contribution to the division of cognitive labor. They rely on experts to remember everything else. In a community of knowledge, what matters more than having ready knowledge is having access to knowledge.