Hive Minds: collective intelligence in humans and other animals

Swarms of bees make decisions as a ‘democratic’ collective, voting on various possible nest sites through waggle dances. Does this phenomenon amount to a form of ‘collective intelligence’? Do we also find collective intelligence in humans? And what might humans be able to learn from bees about the best ways to act together and to make collective decisions.

Philosopher Christian List, social insect biologist Elli Leadbeater, and evolutionary theorist Larissa Conradt consider the nature of collective intelligence in bees, humans, and other animals.

Larissa Conradt is Adjunct Researcher in the Center for Adaptive Rationality at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development.

Elli Leadbeater (@ElliLeadbeater1) is Reader in Biology at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Christian List is Professor of Political Science and Philosophy, LSE.

Jonathan Birch is Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method (LSE) and a Forum for European Philosophy Fellow.

The Forum for European Philosophy (@ForumPhilosophy) is an educational charity that organises a full and varied programme of philosophy and interdisciplinary events in the UK.