Kore was right. Cern shifted gears. "Gaia stands for global symbiosis. When you try to relate that to human behavior, you can't help but talk about markets. There was symbiosis between the printing press and the steam engine. It's a kind of positive feedback that occurs, a kind of resonance phenomenon. That's how markets work. They bring many things together and reinforce the resonances that develop."

"It used to be that the market players were a small minority, the few who weren't farmers," added Naga.

Cern nodded. "And governments, the aristocracy, was a small minority of that. People who imagined they owned the land and ruled over the farmers."

"But most of the time the farmers ignored the aristocracy, if they even knew it existed. Its comings and goings meant nothing to them." 

"For most of history the vast majority of populations were stable and predictable, generation after generation working the same plot of land, mostly just taking care of their own. Now that vast majority of farmers has dwindled to a relatively few, and even they are turning into businessmen." 

"Everyone can do it. Ebay. Craig's list." 

"No one knows how to predict where this new age will lead, what the new equilibrium will be." 

"If it ever comes."

"But markets are even older than agriculture. For thousands of years, Native Americans who knew little of agriculture had trade trails crisscrossing the continent. It's the same everywhere. Trading evolved organically, no one had to invent it or manage it, it just happened."

"And it still works the same way. You have something I want, I have something you want, we trade."

"Kids everywhere re-evolve that all the time."

"The symbiosis aspect is that such trades benefit both parties. Both feel better off, richer after the exchange."

"Each person offers what he is good at producing and has plenty of..."

"Which for little kids is joy and laughter..."

"...and gets in return things he would have to work harder at to make for himself. In that way the energy needed to survive gets reduced for all."

"So, in the end, the efforts of governments to regulate trade are like efforts to regulate the growth of fish in the sea or other natural systems?"

"Almost. People still have predatory instincts, and don't always care if the other guy gets a good deal. So cultures evolve social values and norms. When these get violated, social pressures act to correct them."

"In the legal system they are called precedents. A problem arises, people figure out how to deal with it, and that becomes a precedent, a rule, for how to handle it the next time."

"It's another aspect of evolution, another kind of resonance. In animals it's called memory and instinct. Humans have language and writing and can pass things on more efficiently, but the effect is the same."

"The Ten Commandments."

"The Golden Rule."

"The teachings of Confucious."

"Humans evolve culturally instead of physically."

"And evolve much faster because of it."

"And cultures are evolving especially rapidly right now." 

"Because of technological advances like cell phones and social networks that allow the whole world to be aware of and interested in the problems that arise, and of the precedents that are set as a result."

"The Celtic Brehon law was based entirely on that, what you might call an organic system of dealing with problems between people. The Brehons had the job of rememebering the precedents, and interpreting them fairly in each new situation."

"And that evolved into the modern legal system."

"And a democratic government is supposed to have the job of sorting out new situations and devising new rules to handle them fairly."

"But right now they tend to be overwhelmed by the pace of change."

"Aren't we all!"

"Too many unprecedented developments."

"No precedent, no easy fix."

"Someone might have to think really hard for a change."

"Someone with the wisdom of Solomon."

"But that guy is not around."

"Or the politicians don't trust him."

"So they do nothing?"

"Not really. They deal with a lot of little things, nuances of change that need to be sorted out."

"But when it comes to the big changes they tend to appear ineffective, possibly because they are nearly as much bound by precedent as the judicial system."

"And possibly because they are wise enough to wait and let the new precedents establish themselves before they write them into law."

"Except for the arrogant few who consider themselves the inheritors of noblese oblige and think it is up to them to decide what is best for the masses."

"Who they still tend to regard as uneducated farmers."

"While in reality the worldwide literacy rate is skyrocketing."

"And there are brilliant people in remote villages of India and Africa who have educated themselves far beyond what the self-anointed nobility can claim."

"And they are finding resonances for their views on the new social media."

"And evolving new intellectual communities."

"That occupy new cultural niches."

"And create new kinds of intellectual energy."

"That can help them solve their own problems in unique ways."

"All without government intervention."

"It is the new world democracy, outside the bounds of traditional government."

"Unprecedented."

"With liberty and justice for all."

"Amen."

"Except, of course, for those pesky old style 'leaders' who refuse to admit they are obsolete."

"And among them there seem to be many who are willing to sacrifice the very people they claim to lead, to maintain their elite positions."

"Often attained by graft and corruption."

"Gaia, taking the long view, would let it all work itself out."

"But her human agents are obliged to take the short view, and try to care for those who are suffering through the throes of change."

"And that means, not preventing change, but preventing the enemies of change from preventing positive change, so that the new opportunities are open to all."

"Whether those enemies are witting or unwitting."

The evening's conversation seemed to be winding down. Everyone looked at Sedna, but she remained pensive. 

"Of course the sports, the ones who walk on the wild side, even those like Vlad, are needed to open new paths," she offered.

Naga mulled this for a moment and said, "I'm reminded of one of the more pushy competitors in the pharmaceutical industry. I never liked him. But his company was the source of more than one important development."

Dema said, "That's so. I think my role in the DEA is to limit the collateral damage done by the new things these adventurous types introduce, not to kill their spirit."

Cern nodded, seeing his own role similarly.

Kore said, "Dema, I think of you as one of the adventurous types!"

Dema said, "No, that would be you, Kore. After all, I had to rescue you."

Sedna said, "Perhaps it was Kore who rescued you, Dema."

Naga said, "Her adventure did seem to set you on your path."

Dema gave them both a nod. "I do think about that sometimes."

With that, the conversation really did draw to a close, and everyone agreed it was time to retire.