TED Talks Daily What explains the rise of humans? | Yuval Noah Harari
Jul 19, 2019
Join historian and best-selling author Yuval Noah Harari as he delves into humanity's extraordinary journey from insignificant creatures to the planet's dominant species. He highlights the role of cooperation and storytelling in our evolution, exploring how fictional narratives shape our social structures. Harari also warns of the potential consequences of our reliance on shared beliefs, discussing the impact of technology on society and the emergence of a new class of 'useless people' as machines outperform humans.
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Human Dominance
- Humans were once insignificant, like jellyfish, but now dominate Earth.
- This rise stems from their unique ability to cooperate flexibly in large numbers.
Collective Power
- Individual humans aren't superior, but collectively, they outcompete other species.
- Large-scale cooperation, not individual strength, fuels human achievements.
Imagination and Cooperation
- Humans' unique ability to imagine and believe in fictions enables mass cooperation.
- Shared beliefs, even if fictional, allow humans to follow the same rules and norms.
