World Brain
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- Create Date：2021-08-01 16:21:11
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：H.G. Wells
- ISBN：0262542560
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Summary
In 1937， H。 G。 Wells proposed a predigital， freely available World Encyclopedia to represent a civilization-saving World Brain。
In a series of talks and essays in 1937， H。 G。 Wells proselytized for what he called a World Brain， as manifested in a World Encyclopedia--a repository of scientifically established knowledge--that would spread enlightenment around the world and lead to world peace。 Wells， known to readers today as the author of The War of the Worlds and other science fiction classics， was imagining something like a predigital Wikipedia。 The World Encyclopedia would provide a summary of verified reality （in about forty volumes）; it would be widely available， free of copyright， and utilize the latest technology。
Of course， as Bruce Sterling points out in the foreword to this edition of Wells's work， the World Brain didn't happen; the internet did。 And yet， Wells anticipated aspects of the internet， envisioning the World Brain as a technical system of networked knowledge （in Sterling's words， a hypothetical super-gadget）。 Wells's optimism about the power of information might strike readers today as na�vely utopian， but possibly also inspirational。
In a series of talks and essays in 1937， H。 G。 Wells proselytized for what he called a World Brain， as manifested in a World Encyclopedia--a repository of scientifically established knowledge--that would spread enlightenment around the world and lead to world peace。 Wells， known to readers today as the author of The War of the Worlds and other science fiction classics， was imagining something like a predigital Wikipedia。 The World Encyclopedia would provide a summary of verified reality （in about forty volumes）; it would be widely available， free of copyright， and utilize the latest technology。
Of course， as Bruce Sterling points out in the foreword to this edition of Wells's work， the World Brain didn't happen; the internet did。 And yet， Wells anticipated aspects of the internet， envisioning the World Brain as a technical system of networked knowledge （in Sterling's words， a hypothetical super-gadget）。 Wells's optimism about the power of information might strike readers today as na�vely utopian， but possibly also inspirational。
Reviews
Jerin Tahapary
，
I critique not the wonders of Wells’ works won， but his copycat concomitants， who will eventually and inevitably politicize （by un-Humboldtian means） his World Brain vision（pure） through a technological technique（applied） throughout worlds（information revolution-explosion）。Its ‘’pure’ ‘applied’’ distinction lies whence incessant strife supplies。。So against that， I shall state a defense —that Sturgeon’s Law， n’sync with each ’s own spiritual simple-self solves this so sweetly。
Julia
，
While not exactly a page turner， the concepts he talks about are interesting。 He basically was advocating for a world encyclopedia that would be updated often。 It would not be a static thing， and would include more true world knowledge。 When you consider that he was talking about this in 1937， you can see that the concept was truly ahead of its time。
Nina
，
"There is no practical obstacle whatever now to the creation of an efficient index to all human knowledge， ideas and achievements， to the creation， that is， of a complete planetary memory for all mankind。" "The whole human memory can be， and probably in a short time will be， made accessible to every individual。"Damnit， Wells， you've done it again。 "There is no practical obstacle whatever now to the creation of an efficient index to all human knowledge， ideas and achievements， to the creation， that is， of a complete planetary memory for all mankind。" "The whole human memory can be， and probably in a short time will be， made accessible to every individual。"Damnit， Wells， you've done it again。 。。。more
Skyler
，
An absolutely fascinating collection of lectures from H。G。 Wells。 I， like others I see reviewing this book， learned about it from a documentary entitled Google and the World Brain。 Looking back on H。G。 Wells' lectures， it's fascinating to see how far we've come as a society， and how little。 Written before WWII， Wells speaks on something very similar to what would become the internet。 Some things are out of his thinking， list modes of distribution， being that the idea of ones and zeros and digita An absolutely fascinating collection of lectures from H。G。 Wells。 I， like others I see reviewing this book， learned about it from a documentary entitled Google and the World Brain。 Looking back on H。G。 Wells' lectures， it's fascinating to see how far we've come as a society， and how little。 Written before WWII， Wells speaks on something very similar to what would become the internet。 Some things are out of his thinking， list modes of distribution， being that the idea of ones and zeros and digital systems had yet to be invented。 He speaks on the transferring of every book into microfilm and how one could sit at his desk in the future and read any book on microfilm。 It's very prophetic。 Wells also examines the failing school system， how much time is devoted to learning what， and how we as a society of English speakers should better our learning。 I couldn't put this book down， and found it completely enveloping。 I checked out a first edition via interlibrary loan and should should do the same！ 。。。more
Michael
，
I first encountered this book published in 1938 by way of the documentary film， "Google and the World Brain。" The film casts a disparaging light on the Google Book initiative （at the very least， you should ask permission from authors if you want to digitize and profit from their books）。 The film includes footage of H。 G。 Wells discussing his idea of the "world brain" that could help all of us be better informed and better thinkers。Not being familiar with the book， I went looking for a copy。 Have I first encountered this book published in 1938 by way of the documentary film， "Google and the World Brain。" The film casts a disparaging light on the Google Book initiative （at the very least， you should ask permission from authors if you want to digitize and profit from their books）。 The film includes footage of H。 G。 Wells discussing his idea of the "world brain" that could help all of us be better informed and better thinkers。Not being familiar with the book， I went looking for a copy。 Have to admit I was surprised to learn my public library still had a circulating copy。 When I picked it up， I was even more surprised that the spine indicated this copy was older than I was， with date stamps going back to 1955！But you're really interested in what the book is about。 This is a collection of articles and speeches written in 1936-37 focused on the idea of a noncommercial "World Encyclopedia。" At this time， authoritarian systems were on the rise， and democracy seemed to be failing in the wake of the Great Depression。 Wells believed that democracy wasn't working because people weren't educated enough to govern。 Wells was， of course， a middle-class product of the rigid British class system。Reading this book some 75 years later， you feel like he's predicting Wikipedia （with experts writing the drafts instead of you and me）， not Google so much。 You'll also find some familiar attacks on the quality of the teaching corps， along with amazement that teachers stick together when attacked。"World Brain" is worth tracking down。 I wonder if Google Books has it？ 。。。more
Peter Dunn
，
Interesting idea of world government partly by encylopedia - I wonder what Wells would have thought about Wikipedia！
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=World Brain
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=World Brain&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,World Brain&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0