Cass R. Sunstein talks about the power of the crowd in both Infotopia and Why Societies Need Dissent, breaking down the reasons that a group of non-experts is more likely to zoom in on the correct answer (as in your “Millionaire” example) than a single expert is. It’s an interesting concept and its inner workings are often quite counterintuitive.

Have you read Out of Control by Kevin Kelly? A lot of these same ideas (e.g., hiveminds, the emergent behavior thereof, a flock’s ability to react faster than a single bird of the same size, etc.) are discussed in there. It’s a great book that’s well-worth a read (or two).

Moving up the complexity scale, there was the “Kasparov v. The World” chess match in 1999. Over 50,000 people from 75 countries voted on their moves. While Kasparov won, it took 62 moves — and that’s a loooong game in Grandmaster level competition. (Largely, the players can see the outcome well in advance, and one player resigns or a draw is agreed upon.)

And what did Kasparov have to say about it? “It is the greatest game in the history of chess. The sheer number of ideas, the complexity, and the contribution it has made to chess make it the most important game ever played.” Hardly faint praise.

Finally, there are the Iowa markets. You’re probably already familiar with them, but if not, it’s an easy Google.

Richard Saul Wurman was also fairly prescient regarding “information anxiety,” but as the web continues to evolve, so do its advantages and obstacles — for all of us, collectively and indiviually.