Build a global mind. The most profound impact of information technology has been to transfer the potential of the scientific method—the ever-expanding accumulation of knowledge—to the cultural sphere. Internet protocols allow us to link any two computers, enabling an explosive global network and generating a worldwide cultural accumulation beyond imagination, available to anyone, anywhere. Our unprecedented ability to collect, generate, understand, and communicate information means more sharing of knowledge and leads to more holistic views of our world. As the virtual world becomes larger and more powerful, and access to information—the true catalyst for change—increases exponentially, so too do the opportunities.

Information changemaker Stewart Brand is the cofounder and managing director of the Global Business Network and president of The Long Now Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing a counterpoint to today’s faster/cheaper mindset, promoting a slower/better thinking instead. Cofounded in 1996 with Brian Eno, The Long Now Foundation explores creative initiatives designed to foster responsibility during the next 10,000 years. Brand is well known for founding, editing, and publishing the Whole Earth Catalog, which received a National Book Award. He is also the author of many pioneering books including The Clock of the Long Now, How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They're Built, and The Media Lab: Inventing the Future at MIT.