“a bold and stimulating set of ideas… provocative, witty and profound...”
—William Moomaw, Professor Emeritus of International Environmental Policy at the Fletcher School, Tufts University
Coming May 2025
Gaia Wakes explores the possibility of a fifth transition towards an upgraded Earth: the development of a technologically enabled planetary brain capable of coordinating ecological functions and peering far into the universe.
About Topher
Topher McDougal is an author with a passion for futurism, thinking differently, and finding patterns across different domains and scales. Topher’s research focuses on human-environment interaction, illicit trades (especially in small arms), and the economics of humanitarianism and peace. He is Professor of Economic Development & Peacebuilding at the University of San Diego’s Kroc School of Peace Studies, where he directs the graduate programs in Peace & Justice and Humanitarian Action. He teaches on economic development, environmental peace and justice, humanitarianism, black markets, research methodology and evaluation.
About Gaia Wakes
Gaia Wakes argues that the global environmental devastation we are starting to experience and rapid recent advancements in AI may jointly be part of a naturally recurring cycle of “upgrades” that has driven the increasing complexity of life on Earth. It suggests that human civilization might now choose to serve as the midwife of this new “Gaiacephalos” or face possible extinction.
Praise for Gaia Wakes
“Topher McDougal’s sweeping volume describes how emergent neural networks - what he calls a planetary brain - might achieve what thousands of years of religious and philosophical reflection could not - the creation of a unitary consciousness.”
“Are we on the verge of Earth consciousness just when we need it most? McDougal's daring and timely thought experiment explores if and how such consciousness might come about in our age when ecosystems are collapsing as fast as AI is advancing.”
“In this exceptionally original and ambitious book, Topher McDougal provides a vision for such a future. Gaia Wakes traverses and synthesizes vast ranges of knowledge to present a new intellectual framework for understanding the past, present, and future of planet Earth and the place of our species in it.”
—Jonathan Blake, Associate Director, Planetary Program, Berggruen Institute, Co-Author of Children of a Modest Star: Planetary Thinking for an Age of Crises
“A much-needed contrast to the gloom and doom which pervades so much of the conversation about environmental future, Gaia Wakes provides a fundamentally optimistic vision for the planet's evolutionary trajectory. Important and timely.”
—Richard Florida, Author of The Rise of the Creative Class
Recent Articles
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Also by Topher
The Political Economy of Rural-Urban Conflict
In some cases of insurgency, the combat frontier is contested and erratic, as rebels target cities as their economic prey. In other cases, it is tidy and stable, seemingly representing an equilibrium in which cities are effectively protected from violent non-state actors. What factors account for these differences in the interface between urban-based states and rural-based challengers?
Latest Blog Post
In early April, the Trump administration announced a sweeping new round of tariffs, targeting imports across a wide array of sectors. These measures, which build on his earlier trade war during his first term, have been roundly described by economists as a mistake. They will likely raise prices for American consumers, disrupt global supply chains,…
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