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Illustration of “Heaven”
“Heaven”[1] is a science fiction novel written in 2005 by Dr. Ian Stewart, a professor of mathematics, and Dr. Jack Cohen, a reproductive biologist and theoretical xenobiologist. The plot revolves around a mostly oceanic planet with no moons, which is invaded by adherents to a powerful religious institution, far more advanced technologically than the natural inhabitants of the planet. While the book poses some interesting morally philosophical questions through its main theme - that of what happens when an otherwise benign memeplex rigidifies into a dogmatic belief-structure – there are several other titbits of a large variety scattered all throughout it. The book is clearly heavily inspired by Dennett/Hofstadter and uses their Theory of Mind as a major plot devise on several occasions. Whereas Hofstadter introduced his Aunt Hillary in his book, in the very beginning of “Heaven” Stewart and Cohen present us with The Reefmind; a vast planet-spanning intelligence obtaining consciousness by separate corals linking their rudimentary nervous systems together into a gigantic web.[2] Later on one of the main characters has an encounter with a sentient pond. In this case one can clearly sense the Dennett/Hofstadter idea of systematic levels protrude through the description: ‘An ecosystem was extremely complex – far more so than the creatures that composed it. If part of a fish could be a brain, then part of a pond that contained a fish could also be a brain. But the pond did not use the fish brains to think. (...) On one level, a fish sucking algae from a rock was dinner. On a deeper level, it was a thought.’[3] And at last, as if they had not challenged what constitutes intelligence enough already, they take the idea to the extreme by asserting that the synergetic conjunction of everything within a galaxy could count as a mind too: ‘You have accepted that a pond can be a mind. A galaxy is a far more complex system than any pond. It is far more complex than any single entity, than any civilized society. Than any star system.’[4] Since this is a work of fiction, it is unclear whether Stewart and Cohen are serious about this. But through the course of conversation they have chosen to let their characters partake in, it is an educated guess on my part that they regard it as an interesting thought, which we have no practical way to verify or falsify. And one of their characters even thinks that the concept of a Galactic Mind is terribly close to the concept of god.[5] It is interesting to consider that while Stewart and Cohen, as previously stated, seem to borrow heavily from Dennett/Hofstadter’s Theory of Mind, they also contribute to the theory with a concept that to the best of my knowledge Dennett and Hofstadter do not mention. The concept is that intelligence may not develop lest it is also a part of an extelligence – i.e. the communication and joint knowledge with and of other intelligences not unlike itself.[6]
[1] Stewart, Dr. Ian and Cohen, Dr. Jack: Heaven. New York May, 2005. [2] P. 16-17 [3] P. 248 – Compare to “Gödel, Escher, Bach” p. 349: ‘(…) even ripples on lakes – as symbols.’ [4] P. 304 – The original quote was entirely in uppercase. It looks good in their book, not so in this treatise. [5] “Will” on p. 310 [6] While the word “extelligence” which was coined by Stewart and Cohen is not explicitly stated in “Heaven” it can be found in several of their other books including Figments of Reality. Cambridge 1999. P. 6. In “Heaven” the notion can be found implicitly expressed on p. 250-252. |