In the News (Hundredth Monkey Effect and Information Cascade): “The hundredth monkey effect is a hypothetical phenomenon in which a new behavior or idea is said to spread rapidly by unexplained means from one group to all related groups once a critical number of members of one group exhibit the new behavior or acknowledge the new idea. This concept is closely related to the information cascade model we learnt in class and demonstrates how it works in the animal world.

“The story of the hundredth monkey effect was published in … 1975. Some scientists were conducting a study of macaque monkeys on the Japanese island of Kōjima in 1952. These scientists observed that some of these monkeys learned to wash sweet potatoes in the water, and once a critical number of these monkeys was reached, i.e., the hundredth monkey, this previously learned practice instantly spread across the water to other troupes of monkeys on nearby islands without any contact between the troupes. This phenomenon correlates to the information cascade model in that it shows how ideas can spread quickly once they hit a certain level of acceptance. The certain level of acceptance matches with the tipping point in advertising we discussed in class.”

The researchers also observed the following pattern which suggests the information cascade process based on network structure:

1. The young monkeys first teach their contemporaries and immediate family, who all benefit from the new behavior and teach it to their contemporaries;
2. If the parents or their contemporaries (or their parents) are too old, they do not adopt the behavior;
3. Once the initial group have children, the dynamic changes from teaching previous and current generations, to the next generation learning by observation.

My Response: Yes, they say that on the neighboring island, the monkeys began to do the same. This is a normal transmission of thoughts at a distance.

In our daily life, we often encounter such facts. For example, in a newspaper, stories are printed with certain headlines. Over twelve hundred miles, at the same time, the exact same story comes out in another newspaper, although there really was no connection. Absolutely the same thing. Nobody stole anything. It is just that people are in the same field and spread all their thoughts in it.

It is the same with monkeys and in general with all nature at any level. We just need to take this relationship into account and understand that we, like monkeys, are interconnected. Let’s think carefully, then everyone will have good thoughts.

I should not criticize anyone, but first of all, think well myself, and then I will actually see how the world is getting better.
Thinking well does not mean selfishly, just to make everyone feel good. What does it mean to “love your neighbor as yourself”? Imagine that the others are your loved ones. There is no way to go anywhere if the world is global. Let’s hope this helps.

Comment: As a result of the experiment with monkeys, scientists came to the conclusion that a critical mass of people is needed who would be looking for an answer to the question posed, and then this will happen.

My Response: In Kabbalah, this is called 600,000 souls. This is a conditional name. Indeed, a critical mass is needed.
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From KabTV’s “Close-Up. The Philadelphia Experiment” 10/24/10

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Our Collective Consciousness Influences The World
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