The Collective Brain

Photo Attribution:
http://www.opte.org/maps/
by The Opte Project
 Released by an Attribution-Share Alike License:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/1.0/ 

This is one of my favorite images which I have found using the Creative Commons Search. As the creator put it, "This project was created to make a visual representation of a space that is very much one-dimensional, a metaphysical universe" (the internet). I think the specific image at right is accurately depicting the internet on November 23, 2003. 

I would use this image in a similar way in the classroom as Matt Ridley did in his lecture When Ideas Have Sex. I would use it to remind my students that they each have value and are needed by society because we are all interdependent. IQ means absolutely nothing. Whether you are the smartest, fastest, strongest, etc. doesn't matter because you are needed for being you. (This is, of course, besides the fact that being literally the smartest, fastest, strongest, or best at anything is only possible for one person at a time, and thus a ridiculous goal to have for 99% of the population.) This is also supported by one of the Nine Organizaing Themes for Understanding Ethical Practices in the book Behavior Management by Wheeler and Richey: "Each student as an individual human being has worth and dignity, despite the nature or severity of his troubling behavior." So even if you are a cashier at McDonald's, you are needed by everyone.... even those who don't like McDonald's.

Okay, so if you passed over this video the first time, this is me saying you should seriously watch this: When Ideas Have Sex.