We need diversity of thought in the world to face the new challenges.”

– Sir Timothy Berners-Lee


In the history of humankind, three revolutions have marked human development more than any other. The Agricultural Revolution saw people figure out farming, the mass production of food. The Industrial Revolution saw people figure out machines, the mass production of goods. And the Information Revolution—I will never get over the fact that I got to live during one of humanity’s major revolutions—has seen people figure out connectivity, the mass production of communication, of knowledge.

Sometimes I wonder how much Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the father of the World Wide Web, thinks about the extent to which he helped turn the page on that third revolution of human achievement. What I do suspect is that he has always had some idea of why it is so important for people to be connected and to share knowledge.

He once said, “We need diversity of thought in the world to face the new challenges.”

These words comprise a simple statement, one that feels truer with every passing year. The challenges we face today, from climate change to digital privacy, are too complex for any one person—or even one field—to solve. We need people with different perspectives, experiences, and expertise to collaborate for humanity as we know it to continue.

It’s no coincidence that the Internet, his invention, became the greatest platform in history for connecting diverse ideas. The World Wide Web has given billions of people the chance to share their voices, and when those voices come together, they have the power to drive innovation. Diversity of thought fuels progress in ways we don’t always expect. When you bring together people from different backgrounds, you unlock new ways of thinking, new approaches to problems.

Of course, we’ve also seen the Web behave as the dark side of Berners-Lee’s original vision. The Internet’s Wild West Era is drawing to a close, as it becomes more controlled by a few corporate entities. The breadth of available information out there starts to drown out actual knowledge as we don’t always know what information to trust. It’s a sobering reminder that “diversity of thought” can’t just be a buzzword—it has to be actively nurtured. As a species, humankind needs to work together to keep the Internet open, inclusive, and a space where diverse voices can still thrive.

The Information Revolution is ongoing, and like those that came before, it’s messy. The bright spot we can hold onto is that progress happens when people from all walks of life are invited to participate in the conversation. As we face the challenges of tomorrow, we need that diversity of thought more than ever.