permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>]

Peter Miller, author of "The Smart Swarm"

US government consultant (lecturer)

Peter Miller: "The Smart Swarm" (Avery)
11 a.m. (ET) on air now
...http://thedianerehmshow.org/
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-08-11/peter-miller-smart-swarm-avery
Ants do it. So do fish, birds, bees and humans. They think better in 
groups than as individuals. How understanding flocks, schools and 
colonies in the animal world can help people become more productive and 
make better decisions.

The Smart Swarm: How Understanding Flocks, Schools, and Colonies Can 
Make Us Better at Communicating, Decision Making, and Getting Things 
Done [Hardcover]
http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Swarm-Understanding-Colonies-Communicating/dp/1583333908


http://innovationwatch.com/the-smart-swarm-how-understanding-flocks-schools-and-colonies-can-make-us-better-at-communicating-decision-making-and-getting-things-done-by-peter-miller-avery/
The Smart Swarm: How Understanding Flocks, Schools, and Colonies Can 
Make Us Better at Communicating, Decision Making, and Getting Things Done

by Peter Miller

New York: Avery, 2010

The modern world may be obsessed with speed and productivity, but 
twenty-first-century humans actually have much to learn from the ancient 
instincts of swarms. A fascinating new take on the concept of collective 
intelligence and its colorful manifestations in some of our most complex 
problems, The Smart Swarm introduces a compelling new understanding of 
the real experts on solving complex business, politics, and technology 
problems. Based on extensive globe-trotting research, this lively tour 
from National Geographic reporter Peter Miller introduces smart swarms 
such as:

* thriving throngs of ant colonies, which have inspired computer 
programs for streamlining factory processes, telephone networks, and 
truck routes;
* termites, used in recent studies for climate-control solutions;
* schools of fish, on which the U.S. military modeled a team of robots;
* and many other examples of the wisdom to be gleaned about the behavior 
of crowds — among critters and corporations alike.

In the tradition of James Surowiecki’s The Wisdom of Crowds and the 
innovative works of Malcolm Gladwell, The Smart Swarm is an entertaining 
yet enlightening look at small-scale phenomena with big implications for 
us all.

Peter Miller is a senior editor at National Geographic and has served as 
a writer and editor at the magazine for more than twenty-five years. He 
lives in Reston, Virginia, with his wife.