N²- The Noosphere at 100:

The Future of Human Collective Consciousness

November 17-19, 2023

University of California, Berkeley

Submission Deadline: August 15, 2023

Notification of Acceptance: Sept 1, 2023

Presenter Registration Deadline: Sept 15, 2023

N² | The Noosphere at 100: The Future of Human Collective Consciousness is an international, interdisciplinary conference celebrating the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the noosphere and fostering creative collaboration for intentionally and ethically steering the future evolution of global consciousness. Our abbreviated title - N² - recognizes the exponential pace of the evolution of the noosphere and the reality that the next century will far exceed the last in rapid and radical change to the global mind. N² is also suggestive of the fact that engaging the noosphere amplifies our access to human understanding - beyond the individual “n of 1.”

Discovery of the Noosphere: From petroglyphs-the earliest forms of symbolic communication-to the development of language, the printing press, and eventually the internet, the activity and content of human knowing has been evolving. Becoming more and more complex, it has increasingly moved beyond the individual mind and into a shared space of interconnected thought. In 1923, Jesuit paleontologist and philosopher Teilhard de Chardin, in conversation with other early evolutionary scientists, coined the term “noosphere,” from the Greek term noos (mind) to name this newly discovered reality. A newer, “thinking layer” of the earth, the noosphere has evolved beyond the geosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere on which it depends and is the network into which all human thought taps and contributes.

N²celebrates this anniversary and looks to the future. It is an international, interdisciplinary conference bringing together leading scientists, scholars from across the disciplines, thought leaders, creative artists, and all those who are interested in the meaning and possibility of the noosphere for our collective future.

The N²Conference is sponsored by Human Energy, a non-profit research, media, and educational organization dedicated to introducing the noosphere as a Third Story of the universe that can provide a source of meaning and hope for future generations. N² is part of a year-long program celebrating the centennial of the discovery of the noosphere, produced by Human Energy in collaboration with its partners: ProSocial World; Stanford University’s Boundaries of Humanity Project; The Department of Anthropology at the University of California Berkeley; the University of California, San Francisco; Fordham University; and Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

The 3-day conference, to be held at the historic International House on the campus of University of California, Berkeley, features thought leaders, scholars across fields, and eminent scientists, including Ben Goertzel, Jeron Lanier, Ilia Delio, Philip Beesley, Terrence Deacon, David Sloan Wilson, Francis Heylighten, Brian Swimme, and others. The program includes plenary and concurrent sessions featuring invited and selected presentations and a selected poster exhibit. Interactive formats that prioritize discussion and application are especially welcomed. Selected presentations may be further developed for later inclusion in published conference proceedings.

We welcome all those interested in the noosphere and the promise of human collective consciousness to attend, and we invite proposals for presentations that speak to the conference themes, outlined below. A full list of featured speakers, along with registration and accommodation information is available on the conference website.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS:

Scholars, educators, artists, and practitioners in applied fields are invited to propose presentations for a series of concurrent sessions addressing scientific, technological, philosophical, ethical, theological, spiritual, educational, artistic, and representational aspects of the noosphere. Potential presenters-including students-are also encouraged to consider proposing a poster for interactive exhibit and discussion in a poster session.

Concurrent sessions will be 75 minutes in length and can accommodate 1, 2, or 3 presenters/speakers/leaders in a variety of formats. We welcome proposals for complete sessions (dialogues, roundtables, panels, workshops, etc.) as well as for individual presentations/components of 20-30 minutes that can be combined with one or more others in a single session. The following topic notes are meant to be suggestive for potential proposals.

Science & Technology of the Noosphere (e.g, sociocultural evolution, sociobiology, theories of superorganisms, collective consciousness and social psychology, cliodynamics, complexity sciences, biosphere- noosphere interactions/environment & ecology, collective intelligence, AI, web science, information society, coevolution of humans and technology)

Philosophy of and Ethics for the Noosphere (e.g. the techno-social dilemma; individual freedom and the human superorganism; emerging technologies: AI, genetic manipulation, etc.; media challenges: truthiness, civil discourse, and filter bubbles; the process of developing an ethical orientation for the noosphere)

Global Affairs & the Noosphere (e.g., noospheric opportunities, threats, and challenges in international relations, trade, environmental policy, economic development, and/or global security)… NEEDS DEVELOPING

Theological & Spiritual Engagement with the Noosphere (e.g., reconciling cosmologies; investigating the profound unknown while avoiding pseudo-science; the Third Story and the experience of transcendence; interdisciplinary and interfaith dialogue in/about/for the noosphere)

Dissemination, Representation, and Creative Expression of the Noosphere (media and narrative for the Third Story; engaging, representing, or manifesting global consciousness via the visual, creative, and performing arts). In addition to papers on this topic, practicing visual artists are welcome to submit samples of work they would like considered for exhibition.

Education for the Noosphere. The education track will provide a sequence of sessions designed to guide educators in K-12 and Higher Ed contexts in introducing the Noosphere and integrating aspects of related concepts, meaning, and implications into existing curricula across the disciplines. Proposals addressing challenges and opportunities in this work or presenting applied examples are welcome.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS:

Proposals, including the following components, should be submitted via the online portal on the N²Conference website, no later than AUGUST 15, 2023.

A 250-300 word abstract describing the focus, scope, and methods of the work and clearly stating how the proposed presentation speaks to one or more of the conference themes.

A description of the proposed format (e.g. poster, roundtable, panel of papers, individual paper or presentation, workshop, performance, demonstration, etc. ).

A statement of the proposed length of the presentation (e.g., 20 mins, 30 mins, 45 mins + 30 mins discussion, 60 mins + 15 mins discussion, etc.) or size of the poster (e.g. 36" x 48", 48" x 60", etc.).

A statement of any technology or other logistics either required or preferred to support the presentation. Posters should be laminated and able to be affixed to a cork or fabric display board.

A brief biography (100 words) or resume attesting to the expertise and relevant credentials and affiliations for all proposed presenters.

Current e-mail and telephone contact information for each proposed presenter.

For more information, visit our conference webpage, which will continue to be updated as we approach November.

Questions regarding the CFP or the N² Conference may be sent to the conference co-chairs, Dr. Terrence Deacon and Dr. Sheila Hassell Hughes, at sheila.h.hughes@humanenergy.io

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