Noosphere
Noösphere
The sphere of thought encircling the earth that has emerged through evolution as a consequence of growth in complexity and consciousness — an evolution beyond the geosphere (inanimate matter) and the biosphere (biological life).
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Origin
From the Greek nous (mind) and sphaira (sphere). The concept emerged from discussions in 1920s Paris among three thinkers: geologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, mathematician Édouard Le Roy, and geochemist Vladimir Vernadsky — all influenced by Eduard Suess's concept of the biosphere. Le Roy first used the term in his 1927 lectures at the Collège de France, though Teilhard had explored the idea in writings as early as 1922.
Updated February 22, 2026