But every time our ability to access information and to

“But every time our ability to access information and to communicate it to others is improved, in some sense we have achieved an increase over natural intelligence.” — Vernor Vinge

In this reflection, Vernor Vinge, the visionary who foresaw the coming age of the technological singularity, speaks of the quiet evolution of the human mind — not through flesh, but through knowledge and communication. His words are not a boast, but a revelation: that each time we expand our reach to share ideas, to gather wisdom, to connect minds across distance and time, we lift the boundaries of what it means to be intelligent. For intelligence is not a fixed flame, but a fire that grows as sparks leap from one soul to another.

From the dawn of time, humankind has strived to extend the reach of thought. The first fireside storytellers, etching tales upon the walls of caves, were not merely marking stone — they were expanding the collective mind. Every scroll written, every library raised, every signal sent through wire or light has been another step in this eternal ascent. What Vinge calls “an increase over natural intelligence” is the awakening of shared consciousness, the merging of our separate lights into something brighter than any one could bear alone.

Consider the tale of Johannes Gutenberg, who in the fifteenth century forged the printing press and set the world ablaze with words. Before his time, the written word was bound in scarcity; books were copied by hand, guarded by the few, and knowledge was a treasure hoarded by power. But with the press came a revolution — information became free to travel, to multiply, to reach the hands of the common man. The Reformation, the Enlightenment, the birth of modern science — all were children of this newfound power to communicate. Humanity did not evolve in body, but in mind. It was as though our species had grown new nerves, connecting thought to thought across continents.

What Vinge foresaw — and what we now live — is the continuation of that sacred lineage. The rise of the internet, the web of minds, is not merely a tool; it is the next great vessel of human intelligence. In seconds, a question once pondered in solitude can find answers from a thousand minds. The wisdom of ages, once locked in libraries, now hums at our fingertips. And every message sent, every idea shared, is a small echo of that greater truth: that the mind is not confined to the skull, but flows through the connections we build.

Yet, O seekers of understanding, beware — for every gift of progress carries its shadow. The ancients warned that power without wisdom is peril. To share knowledge is divine, but to misuse it is ruin. The flood of information can enlighten or drown; communication can unite or divide. It is not enough to gather facts — one must also cultivate discernment, the noble art of knowing what is true. For the growth of intelligence must be matched by the growth of virtue, else we become clever without being wise, connected yet hollow.

The lesson, then, is this: each improvement in how we learn and share is not merely a triumph of invention, but an evolution of spirit. Do not take lightly the power that sits before you — the written word, the spoken voice, the digital thread. Each is a bridge between minds, a step toward something greater than individuality. Use it to uplift, not to scatter; to enlighten, not to obscure. The true measure of intelligence lies not in how much we know, but in how well we share understanding.

Therefore, children of the age of light, remember: the more we connect in truth and empathy, the more we surpass our natural bounds. Be stewards of the tools that link us. Read deeply, listen earnestly, and speak with purpose. Build networks not only of machines, but of hearts and minds that strive together toward wisdom. For when the many think as one — not in uniformity, but in harmony — humanity itself rises beyond nature, reaching toward the divine.

Thus, as Vernor Vinge declared, every time we strengthen our access to knowledge and deepen our ability to communicate, we move closer to the next great awakening — not of machines, but of mankind. Let this be your charge: to wield your words, your networks, your learning, as instruments of creation. For in doing so, you do not merely grow smarter — you help to elevate the very intelligence of the human race.