View source for Metaman

{{Short description|1993 book by Gregory Stock}}
{{italic title}}
{{infobox book
| name = Metaman: The Merging of Humans and Machines into a Global Superorganism
| image = Gregory Stock Metaman.jpg
| author = [[Gregory Stock]]
| publisher = [[Simon & Schuster]]
| published = 1993
| country = United States
| language = English
| isbn = 067170723X
}}
'''''Metaman: The Merging of Humans and Machines into a Global Superorganism''''' is a 1993 book by author [[Gregory Stock]].  The title refers to a [[superorganism]] comprising humanity and its technology.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016328702000976 |title=Augmentation, symbiosis, transcendence: technology and the future(s) of human identity |journal=Futures |first=Walter Truett |last=Anderson |date=June 2003 |volume=35 |issue=5 |page=543 |doi=10.1016/S0016-3287(02)00097-6 |access-date=January 23, 2024}}</ref><ref name="moravec">{{cite web |url=https://frc.ri.cmu.edu/~hpm/project.archive/general.articles/1993/931010.Metaman.review.html |title=Mankind Unified, Transcended |first=Hans |last=Moravec |author-link=Hans Moravec |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990427091301/https://frc.ri.cmu.edu/~hpm/project.archive/general.articles/1993/931010.Metaman.review.html |archive-date=April 27, 1999}}</ref>
==Content==
In his book, Stock claims that the humanity as a whole can be seen as a collective organism which he calls Metaman. He compares individual humans with [[Cell (biology)|cells]] which work together and communicate on a global scale thanks to advances in technology. Stock sees [[mass media]] as the Metaman's consciousness, libraries as its memory and [[transport]] as its nervous system.<ref name="moravec"/><ref name="haygood">{{cite journal |title=Book Reviews Edited by Dr. Philip R. Harris |journal=Behavioral Science |first=Kenneth |last=Haygood |year=1995 |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=159–160 |doi=10.1002/bs.3830400205}}</ref>
According to Stock, the Metaman is constantly evolving. Metaman transforms the planetary environment and creates new [[Community (ecology)|biological communities]] which are completely dependent on the Metaman. It changes humans which begin to merge with machines.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Beyond Therapy and Enhancement: The Alteration of Human Nature |journal=NanoEthics |first=Fabrice |last=Jotterand |year=2008 |volume=2 |pages=15–23 |doi=10.1007/s11569-008-0025-z}}</ref> Its evolution is accelerating, and it might soon reproduce into outer space. Stock thinks that this growth is beneficial, and Metaman will overcome the negative natural processes, such as floods or famines.<ref name="moravec"/><ref name="haygood"/>
==Criticism==
Stock does not explore the negative sides of such entity as Metaman. Kenneth Haygood says that Stock only provided the data to support particular points and did not examine forces which would interfere with his concept: "Readers of this journal with general systems theory and related ideas may find that all of Stock's bits and pieces of data, while relevant to a particular point, had the overall effect of diverting the reader from a more penetrating examination of the concept and its implications."<ref name="haygood"/>
In her review, Patric Hedlund opposes Stock's optimistic view and provides counterexamples, such as [[Yugoslav Wars]]. She argues that Metaman's awareness might not be sufficient to prevent its self-destruction.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.forests.com/metaman.html |title=Dendrite Forest Book Review: Metaman |website=Dendrite Forest |first=Patric |last=Hedlund |date=April 30, 1999 |access-date=January 23, 2024}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Systems theory]]
[[Category:Cybernetics]]
[[Category:Superorganisms]]
[[Category:Futurology books]]
[[Category:1993 non-fiction books]]