Natural Intelligence

by Leen Gorissen

Despite endless change and disruption, massive upheaval and cosmic collisions, nature has survived the worst of times and thrived in the best of them for 3.8 billion years. She knows what works, what lasts and what contributes to the future of life on Earth. She is the undisputed master of continuous innovation, adaptation and, ultimately, regeneration. What if we would tap into the NI that stood the test of time to fast track innovation so that we can develop new capabilities, build agile, creative and responsible organisations and healthy and resilient cities and landscapes? We might learn to become life-friendly and self-renewing right where we are and transform our current degenerative value system into a regenerative one, enhancing the world through benign innovation. This may sound like science fiction, but is already happening.

Mushrooms make rain, whales cool the climate, termites build islands, foxes green the tundra, and plankton create clouds. In Natural Intelligence, Leen Gorissen, PhD in biology, shares the latest breakthrough insights from biology and makes a solid case for why NI, not AI, should be at the forefront of business innovation.

175 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[John Oswald · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ambitious project this one - helping us realise that natural intelligence is a lot more intelligent than human or (dare I say ‘artificial’) intelligence. Mostly because it has been around for at least 3bn years longer than we have and has not put the planet under extreme stress…. Gorrisen is a biologist, but manages beautifully to find parallels, lessons and metaphors from biology that translate elegantly into modern business and innovation. Some choice principles: ‘there is no taking without giving; it takes an ecosystem to sustain an ecosystem; diversity, decentralisation and redundancy build resilience - monocultures and monopolies build brittleness’. I could go on. But it’s a bold attempt to reconcile humans and nature and herald a new form of innovation. I’m in! Ever since @drpjrichardson first introduced me to the ideas of biomimicry back in 2009 I’ve been hugely interested… time to start making it real. #guehennoreads #booksofinstagram #booksof2021 #naturalintelligence

[Martijn · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have human intelligence, artificial intelligence, but we also have natural intelligence. Contrary to what most of us believe, 3.8billion years of evolution has made nature the most efficient creator on the planet. Where human innovations tend to have negative side effects, natural inventions tend to have positive side effects, strengthening the ecosystem in which they function.

Some parts of the book feel more like a manifesto than scientifically supported conclusion. Luckily, the book has a clear message, and in chapter 5, examples are given of how businesses that have adopted principles found in nature outperform businesses that adhere to decades old business-as-usual principles. It's at chapter 5 that the book becomes truly convincing that it is more than just theory, but also practical.

If you are new to the genre, I would advise reading doughnut economics first, but nonetheless, this book deserves its place in the field.

[Mattia Brambilla Pisoni · Rating 1 out of 5]

An insult to human intelligence. Hundreds of years applying the scientific method only to listen Leen Gorissen explaining how trees have a collective self and a collective intelligence. Wokism at its finest.

[Renée Vandenbosch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fell absolutely in love with this book. Everything was explained so well and visible. Her views and insights are amazing and I've learned so much out of it. I will very likelt read it again!