Genesis Of An Anthill: Wireless Technology And Self-Organizing Systems
By Espen Andersen (published February 2003)
= interesting, promising
Online Article
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Douglas Hofstadter has illustrated the behaviour of self organizing systems by comparing them to an anthill. The actions of individual ants seem to be aimless and stupid but the anthill as a whole reveals a highly adaptive, intelligent behaviour. Espen Andersen transfers the anthill analogy to connected wireless devices and outlines a vision of their future by pinpointing the distinguishing conditions set by their users and technology.

Andersen provides several farsighted examples to illustrate what it means for our life that, due to the miniaturization of processing technology and the expansion of wireless technology, computers can be integrated into everything and everything can be connected. Moreover, he sketches innovative applications of wireless networks, which arise with the increasing human understanding and mastering of self organizing systems.

The future belongs to small, connected devices that will wirelessly allow the user -- and the technology -- to self-organize, creating something smart out of many small and simple nodes and connections.
Espen Andersen