How does the GB relate to Gaia?
Gaia (the Greek goddess of the Earth) is the name given to the hypothesis that the planet Earth itself is a living organism. This organism would be able to regulate its own essential variables, such as temperature and composition of the atmosphere. Compared to the superorganism as we have defined it, this “Gaian” organism seems very primitive, with a level of intelligence comparable perhaps to the one of a bacterium. At present, Gaia and the global superorganism are still largely independent, and the effect of society on the global ecosystem appears unsustainable. However, several authors have argued that Gaia and the superorganism will evolve to a state of symbiosis, that may eventually lead to a merging of the two. Thus, the GB would not only form a brain for humanity, but for the whole of Planet Earth.
