OK, pop quiz time. What do a flock of birds, a school of fish, and a swarm of bees all have in common? Swarm intelligence—knowing how to cooperatively live and work near each other while optimally achieving the same objective. It's not about the intelligence of the individual, but rather the achievements of the group. No one individual has a clear path or directive, no one is at the top shouting orders, yet the optimal goal is always accomplished. Swarms of bees find new nests by doing waggle dances. Birds fly in great harmony, each taking turns being the leader. Fish swim collectively in beautiful architectures we call schools. But if we as humans always need someone at the top giving orders, and we still collectively don't always agree, how is it that millions of these little creatures have been doing it for years and we can't? Oops, going off on a tangent there, sorry!

Let's start off with a few quick definitions that will be used throughout to ensure we are all on the same page going forward.