ScienceAugust 17, 2026
superorganism
SOO-per-or-guh-niz-um
Definition
A collection of individual biological organisms that function as a single, unified unit, such as a colony of insects or, in a theoretical sense, the entire Earth.
Etymology
The word combines the Latin prefix 'super-', meaning above or beyond, with the biological term 'organism.' It was popularized in the early 20th century to describe social insect colonies that exhibit behaviors typical of a single individual.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe James Hutton's 19th-century view of Earth, suggesting the planet functions as a singular, coordinated living system rather than just a collection of separate parts.
Planet Earth Is Conscious With a ‘Mind’ Shaping the Fate of All Life, Controversial Theory Suggests
Read the full article ↗Popular Mechanics