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Could humans unknowingly be a part of a larger superorganism\\u2014one with its own motivations and goals, one that is alive, and conscious, and has the power to shape the future of our species? This is the fascinating theory from author and futurist Byron Reese, who calls this human superorganism \\u201cAgora.\\u201d

In We Are Agora, Reese starts by asking the question, \\u201cWhat is life and how did it form?\\u201d From there, he looks at how multicellular life came about, how consciousness emerged, and how other superorganisms in nature have formed. Then, he poses eight big questions based on the Agora theory, including:

• If ants have colonies, bees have hives, and we have our bodies, how does Agora manifest itself? Does it have a body?
• Can Agora explain things that happen that are both under our control and near universally undesirable, such as war?
• How can Agora theory explain long-term progress we\\u2019ve made in the world?

In this unique and ambitious work that spans all of human history and looks boldly into its future, Reese melds science and history to look at the human species from a fresh new perspective. We Are Agora will give readers a better understanding of where we\\u2019ve been, where we\\u2019re going, and how our fates are intertwined.

Shermer and Reese discuss: \\u2022 organisms and superorganisms \\u2022 origins of life \\u2022 the self \\u2022 emergence \\u2022 consciousness \\u2022 Is the Internet a superorganism? \\u2022 Will AI create a superorganism? \\u2022 Could AI become sentient or conscious? \\u2022 the hard problem of consciousness \\u2022 cities as superorganisms \\u2022 planetary superorganisms \\u2022 Are we living in a simulation? \\u2022 Why are we here?

Byron Reese is an Austin-based entrepreneur with a quarter-century of experience building and running technology companies. A recognized authority on AI who holds a number of technology patents, Byron is a futurist with a strong conviction that technology will help bring about a new golden age of humanity. He gives talks around the world about how technology is changing work, education, and culture. He is the author of four books on technology; his previous title The Fourth Agewas described by the New York Times as \\u201centertaining and engaging.\\u201d Bloomberg Businessweek credits Reese with having \\u201cquietly pioneered a new breed of media company.\\u201d The Financial Times reported that he \\u201cis typical of the new wave of internet entrepreneurs out to turn the economics of the media industry on its head.\\u201d He and his work have been featured in hundreds of news outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Entrepreneur, USA Today, Reader\\u2019s Digest, and NPR.