have been talking for years about 'hive minds' phenomena once separate minds (yours, mine, Larry The Cable Guy's, etc..) all get interconnected. So much theorization went into predicting what this 'hive mind' would look like, how it would behave, and what its products would be.
Look no further than Twitter, 4Chan, Reddit, and sites like this one for your answer.
Twitter is indeed something like the conscience of our society, though it hardly fits the notion most of us grew up thinking of as Jiminy Cricket or angels & demons sitting on our shoulders reminding us of our base and higher natures. Still, it is a real-time, honest expression of how we think and conduct ourselves when our personae are largely removed from the equation. How does a mind process information and events when it's largely unencumbered by the trappings and restrictions of civilization and society?
Twitter, Reddit, 4Chan, and places like this represent facets of that process in action. And the truly beautiful thing about the internet is that it is more of a meritocracy than most spheres we travel in our lives. If an idea put forth online is demonstrably weak, that weakness will be demonstrated. And if an idea is strong and resonant, it will make the rounds and go viral.
Fascinating 'put c/o Scott Adams, Jeff. Nice :-)