Yellow dots are nodes in the network

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Effects of Collective Attention Patterns Where
There Should Be None A Glimpse of Global
Consciousness?
Yellow dots are nodes in the network
http//noosphere.princeton.eduRoger Nelson
rdnelson_at_princeton.edu
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The EGG Project(aka the Global Consciousness
Project)

• International collaboration
• 75 Scientists, Artists, Friends,
• Network of host sites world wide
• The tools REG technology, Field application
• Make an EEG for the earth, an ElectroGaiaGram
• Identify engaging moments of global events
• The question Can we capture a
• Glimmering of Global Consciousness?

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When you put a thing in order, and give it a
name, and you are all in accord, it becomes.
- - From the Navajo, Masked Gods, Waters, 1950

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The technology is only now availableElectronics,
Computers, Networking

• REG/RNG devices run continuously
• Synchronized computers and software
• Internet transfer of data to central server
• Automatic archiving, public access
• Formal analyses and explorations
• Background, methods, poetic history

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A Random Event Generator (REG or RNG)
Mindsong REG
Orion RNG
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How it works Heres 1000 Trials from A physical
random sourceEach trial is the sum of 200 bits
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The binomial distribution of 1000 200-bit
trials, compared with Theoretical normal
distribution
expected
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What happens to the data over time?Plot
cumulative deviation from expectation
A General Case
GCP Standard Analysis
Should be a Random Walk (a drunkards walk)
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A network of eggs around the world
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Here we see the combined dataFor a whole day,
from 48 eggs
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We can see better whats happening by Plotting
the cumulative deviationsCorrelation Tilts
Variance Spreads
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When we make a composite across eggs, the
cumulative deviation may show a trend
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Examples of the range ofPotential Global
EventsNatural disastersTerrible accidentsThe
beginning of warThe Popes pilgrimageGrand
celebrations Political excitementAstrological
hot spotsWorld-wide meditations
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Calamities arouse widespread empathyMaybe this
registers as a common influence Producing
correlation among the eggs
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The Popes 6-day pilgrimage to the middle eastAn
occasion of hope for resolution of differences
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Political events, even big ones, are not
necessarily of interest to the EGG
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Tearing the Social Fabric Terrorists Attack
Civilians and Diplomats Nato Bombs Kosovo to
End Ethnic CleansingTaliban Destroy Ancient
Buddhist TreasureSeptember 11 Enters History of
the Earth
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Major disasters that engage us powerfullyOften
correlate with big deviations
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An exploration of context Six hours of
dataAround the beginning of bombing in Kosovo
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The Buddhas of Bamiyan
After
Before March 12 2001
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The destruction of a world treasureApproximate
time, noon in Afghanistan
noon
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The World Trade Center Fall, 2001
Carol M. Highsmith
Al Dove
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The World Trade Center September 11 2001
Tamara Beckwith
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The destruction of the World Trade TowersSept 11
2001 A 50-hour trend followed the attacks
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Sept 11 prediction Inter-egg Variance will
fluctuate Red is real data, Green is Pseudorandom
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Autocorrelation on Sept 11Structure where there
should be none
Calculations Peter Bancel
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What is there to say?
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Repairing the Social FabricHealing
MeditationsPrayer VigilsCeremoniesHolidays
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Chicago, Moment of Silence September 14 2001
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Three Minutes of Silence September 14 2001
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Focused Siddhi Meditations Post September 11, 2001
Context, Five Days
Peak Day, Threshold Exceeded
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A Substantial Agreement on Getting Our Ecological
Act Together
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Voices For Peace -- World-Wide Conscience --
Global Consciousness
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And Yet -- A Preemptive Attack The March to
War is No Random Walk
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The Lighter Side Celebrations What better
example than New Years?
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An obvious prediction New Years
celebrationsAcross all (37) time zones
Three of five are classic examples
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New Years, another look Reduction of Variance
Among the Eggs
Three of five are classic examples
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Questions outnumber answersGreat numbers
contributeDeep engagement is powerfulbutDoes
distance from the focus matter?How about
relevance to local people?Is human consciousness
necessary? Are experimenter effects the
source? What kinds of events are strongest?Is
the effect repeatable and reliable?
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Categories What seems to touch the EGG Network?
Four and a Half Years, 132 Formal Predictions
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Does the distance of the eggsFrom the event make
a difference?
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The Bottom Line132 global events over 4.5
yearsOdds About 100,000 to 1
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What do we have in hand?Where do we want to go
with it?

• Four years of data
• 55 eggs around the world
• More than 130 formal studies
• About 65 positive outcome
• About 15 individually significant
• Many analyses remain to be done

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Bigger Picture What is our aspiration?

• Sharpen and focus our questions
• Aim for theoretical understanding
• Capture insight about creative mind
• Consider evidence that we are one
• Contribute to better future for culture

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We think the world apart. What would it be like
to think the world together? -- Parker
Palmer, educator
http//noosphere.princeton.edu