  Evolution is presented as a trial-and-error process that produces a
progressive accumulation of knowledge. At the level of technology, this leads
to ephemeralization, i.e. ever increasing productivity, or decreasing of the
friction that normally dissipates resources. As a result, flows of matter,
energy and information circulate ever more easily across the planet. This
global connectivity increases the interactions between agents, and thus the
possibilities for conflict. However, evolutionary progress also reduces social
friction, via the creation of institutions. The emergence of such "mediators"
is facilitated by stigmergy: the unintended collaboration between agents
resulting from their actions on a shared environment. The Internet is a near
ideal medium for stigmergic interaction. Quantitative stigmergy allows the web
to learn from the activities of its users, thus becoming ever better at helping
them to answer their queries. Qualitative stigmergy stimulates agents to
collectively develop novel knowledge. Both mechanisms have direct analogues in
the functioning of the human brain. This leads us to envision the future,
super-intelligent web as a "global brain" for humanity. The feedback between
social and technological advances leads to an extreme acceleration of
innovation. An extrapolation of the corresponding hyperbolic growth model would
forecast a singularity around 2040. This can be interpreted as the evolutionary
transition to the Global Brain regime.
