Steven Johnson explores the phenomenon of emergence in Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software. Emergence theory is the study of how disparate local knowledge and local decisions can lead to higher level (or global) intelligence and global structure. We are programmed to think that without an overseer or man-in-charge, groups cannot self-organize. Drawing on examples as diverse as ant colonies to the rise and structure of the city of Manchester, UK, Johnson shows h