TEDGlobalLondon
Yuval Noah Harari: What explains the rise of humans?
Filmed:
Readability: 4.3
6,090,144 views
Seventy thousand years ago, our human ancestors were insignificant animals, just minding their own business in a corner of Africa with all the other animals. But now, few would disagree that humans dominate planet Earth; we've spread to every continent, and our actions determine the fate of other animals (and possibly Earth itself). How did we get from there to here? Historian Yuval Noah Harari suggests a surprising reason for the rise of humanity.
Yuval Noah Harari - Historian, author
In his book "Homo Deus," Yuval Noah Harari explores the future of humankind: the destinies we may set for ourselves and the quests we'll undertake. Full bio
In his book "Homo Deus," Yuval Noah Harari explores the future of humankind: the destinies we may set for ourselves and the quests we'll undertake. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
Seventy-thousand years ago, our ancestors
were insignificant animals.
were insignificant animals.
0
1309
5065
00:18
The most important thing to know
about prehistoric humans
about prehistoric humans
1
6398
4099
00:22
is that they were unimportant.
2
10521
1952
00:24
Their impact on the world was not
much greater than that of jellyfish
much greater than that of jellyfish
3
12497
5134
00:29
or fireflies or woodpeckers.
4
17655
2361
00:32
Today, in contrast,
we control this planet.
we control this planet.
5
20643
3583
00:36
And the question is:
6
24853
1342
00:38
How did we come from there to here?
7
26219
3122
00:41
How did we turn ourselves
from insignificant apes,
from insignificant apes,
8
29666
3652
00:45
minding their own business
in a corner of Africa,
in a corner of Africa,
9
33342
3147
00:48
into the rulers of planet Earth?
10
36513
2490
00:51
Usually, we look for the difference
between us and all the other animals
between us and all the other animals
11
39876
5690
00:57
on the individual level.
12
45590
1481
00:59
We want to believe -- I want to believe --
13
47412
2994
01:02
that there is something special about me,
14
50430
3548
01:06
about my body, about my brain,
15
54002
3126
01:09
that makes me so superior
to a dog or a pig, or a chimpanzee.
to a dog or a pig, or a chimpanzee.
16
57152
5283
01:15
But the truth is that,
on the individual level,
on the individual level,
17
63221
3261
01:18
I'm embarrassingly similar
to a chimpanzee.
to a chimpanzee.
18
66506
3031
01:22
And if you take me and a chimpanzee
and put us together on some lonely island,
and put us together on some lonely island,
19
70029
5235
01:27
and we had to struggle for survival
to see who survives better,
to see who survives better,
20
75288
4248
01:31
I would definitely place my bet
on the chimpanzee, not on myself.
on the chimpanzee, not on myself.
21
79560
5216
01:37
And this is not something
wrong with me personally.
wrong with me personally.
22
85419
3026
01:40
I guess if they took almost any one
of you, and placed you alone
of you, and placed you alone
23
88469
4126
01:44
with a chimpanzee on some island,
24
92619
1965
01:46
the chimpanzee would do much better.
25
94608
2467
01:50
The real difference between humans
and all other animals
and all other animals
26
98823
4185
01:55
is not on the individual level;
27
103032
2447
01:57
it's on the collective level.
28
105503
1602
01:59
Humans control the planet
because they are the only animals
because they are the only animals
29
107518
4806
02:04
that can cooperate both flexibly
and in very large numbers.
and in very large numbers.
30
112348
5177
02:10
Now, there are other animals --
31
118167
1768
02:11
like the social insects,
the bees, the ants --
the bees, the ants --
32
119959
3171
02:15
that can cooperate in large numbers,
but they don't do so flexibly.
but they don't do so flexibly.
33
123154
4572
02:20
Their cooperation is very rigid.
34
128099
2437
02:23
There is basically just one way
in which a beehive can function.
in which a beehive can function.
35
131012
4179
02:27
And if there's a new opportunity
or a new danger,
or a new danger,
36
135215
3811
02:31
the bees cannot reinvent
the social system overnight.
the social system overnight.
37
139050
4543
02:35
They cannot, for example,
execute the queen
execute the queen
38
143617
2880
02:38
and establish a republic of bees,
39
146521
1906
02:40
or a communist dictatorship
of worker bees.
of worker bees.
40
148451
3102
02:44
Other animals, like the social mammals --
41
152442
2343
02:46
the wolves, the elephants,
the dolphins, the chimpanzees --
the dolphins, the chimpanzees --
42
154809
3874
02:50
they can cooperate much more flexibly,
43
158707
2746
02:53
but they do so only in small numbers,
44
161477
3341
02:56
because cooperation among chimpanzees
45
164842
2873
02:59
is based on intimate knowledge,
one of the other.
one of the other.
46
167739
4048
03:03
I'm a chimpanzee and you're a chimpanzee,
47
171811
2768
03:06
and I want to cooperate with you.
48
174603
1803
03:08
I need to know you personally.
49
176430
2595
03:11
What kind of chimpanzee are you?
50
179049
1770
03:12
Are you a nice chimpanzee?
51
180843
1413
03:14
Are you an evil chimpanzee?
52
182280
1653
03:15
Are you trustworthy?
53
183957
1444
03:17
If I don't know you, how can I
cooperate with you?
cooperate with you?
54
185425
3053
03:21
The only animal that can combine
the two abilities together
the two abilities together
55
189676
3751
03:25
and cooperate both flexibly
and still do so in very large numbers
and still do so in very large numbers
56
193451
5296
03:30
is us, Homo sapiens.
57
198771
1630
03:32
One versus one, or even 10 versus 10,
58
200973
4131
03:37
chimpanzees might be better than us.
59
205128
2569
03:40
But, if you pit 1,000 humans
against 1,000 chimpanzees,
against 1,000 chimpanzees,
60
208112
5179
03:45
the humans will win easily,
for the simple reason
for the simple reason
61
213315
3618
03:48
that a thousand chimpanzees
cannot cooperate at all.
cannot cooperate at all.
62
216957
3733
03:53
And if you now try to cram
100,000 chimpanzees
100,000 chimpanzees
63
221337
4051
03:57
into Oxford Street,
or into Wembley Stadium,
or into Wembley Stadium,
64
225412
3616
04:01
or Tienanmen Square or the Vatican,
65
229052
2532
04:03
you will get chaos, complete chaos.
66
231608
2617
04:06
Just imagine Wembley Stadium
with 100,000 chimpanzees.
with 100,000 chimpanzees.
67
234249
3859
04:10
Complete madness.
68
238616
1190
04:12
In contrast, humans normally
gather there in tens of thousands,
gather there in tens of thousands,
69
240219
5942
04:18
and what we get is not chaos, usually.
70
246185
3064
04:21
What we get is extremely sophisticated
and effective networks of cooperation.
and effective networks of cooperation.
71
249273
6087
04:28
All the huge achievements
of humankind throughout history,
of humankind throughout history,
72
256554
4590
04:33
whether it's building the pyramids
or flying to the moon,
or flying to the moon,
73
261168
3283
04:36
have been based not
on individual abilities,
on individual abilities,
74
264475
2575
04:39
but on this ability to cooperate
flexibly in large numbers.
flexibly in large numbers.
75
267074
3825
04:43
Think even about this very talk
that I'm giving now:
that I'm giving now:
76
271465
3657
04:47
I'm standing here in front of an audience
of about 300 or 400 people,
of about 300 or 400 people,
77
275146
5984
04:53
most of you are complete strangers to me.
78
281154
3124
04:56
Similarly, I don't really know
all the people who have organized
all the people who have organized
79
284928
4984
05:01
and worked on this event.
80
289936
1627
05:03
I don't know the pilot
and the crew members of the plane
and the crew members of the plane
81
291994
3793
05:07
that brought me over here,
yesterday, to London.
yesterday, to London.
82
295811
2911
05:11
I don't know the people
who invented and manufactured
who invented and manufactured
83
299286
3723
05:15
this microphone and these cameras,
which are recording what I'm saying.
which are recording what I'm saying.
84
303033
4510
05:20
I don't know the people
who wrote all the books and articles
who wrote all the books and articles
85
308123
3537
05:23
that I read in preparation for this talk.
86
311684
2393
05:26
And I certainly don't know all the people
87
314495
2810
05:29
who might be watching this talk
over the Internet,
over the Internet,
88
317329
3219
05:32
somewhere in Buenos Aires or in New Delhi.
89
320572
3027
05:36
Nevertheless, even though
we don't know each other,
we don't know each other,
90
324162
3509
05:39
we can work together to create
this global exchange of ideas.
this global exchange of ideas.
91
327695
5853
05:46
This is something chimpanzees cannot do.
92
334081
3051
05:49
They communicate, of course,
93
337156
1814
05:50
but you will never catch a chimpanzee
traveling to some distant chimpanzee band
traveling to some distant chimpanzee band
94
338994
5799
05:56
to give them a talk about bananas
or about elephants,
or about elephants,
95
344817
4120
06:00
or anything else that might
interest chimpanzees.
interest chimpanzees.
96
348961
3008
06:05
Now cooperation is, of course,
not always nice;
not always nice;
97
353389
3490
06:08
all the horrible things humans
have been doing throughout history --
have been doing throughout history --
98
356903
4025
06:12
and we have been doing
some very horrible things --
some very horrible things --
99
360952
2739
06:15
all those things are also based
on large-scale cooperation.
on large-scale cooperation.
100
363715
5149
06:20
Prisons are a system of cooperation;
101
368888
2596
06:23
slaughterhouses are a system
of cooperation;
of cooperation;
102
371508
2990
06:26
concentration camps
are a system of cooperation.
are a system of cooperation.
103
374522
3004
06:29
Chimpanzees don't have slaughterhouses
and prisons and concentration camps.
and prisons and concentration camps.
104
377907
5180
06:36
Now suppose I've managed
to convince you perhaps that yes,
to convince you perhaps that yes,
105
384183
3830
06:40
we control the world because we can
cooperate flexibly in large numbers.
cooperate flexibly in large numbers.
106
388037
5058
06:45
The next question that immediately arises
107
393516
2948
06:48
in the mind of an inquisitive listener is:
108
396488
2883
06:51
How, exactly, do we do it?
109
399395
2284
06:54
What enables us alone, of all the animals,
to cooperate in such a way?
to cooperate in such a way?
110
402083
5782
07:01
The answer is our imagination.
111
409714
2546
07:04
We can cooperate flexibly
with countless numbers of strangers,
with countless numbers of strangers,
112
412998
5432
07:10
because we alone, of all
the animals on the planet,
the animals on the planet,
113
418454
3696
07:14
can create and believe fictions,
fictional stories.
fictional stories.
114
422174
4623
07:19
And as long as everybody believes
in the same fiction,
in the same fiction,
115
427326
4588
07:23
everybody obeys and follows
the same rules,
the same rules,
116
431938
3542
07:27
the same norms, the same values.
117
435504
2289
07:30
All other animals use
their communication system
their communication system
118
438639
3899
07:34
only to describe reality.
119
442562
2496
07:37
A chimpanzee may say, "Look!
There's a lion, let's run away!"
There's a lion, let's run away!"
120
445590
4217
07:41
Or, "Look! There's a banana tree
over there! Let's go and get bananas!"
over there! Let's go and get bananas!"
121
449831
4106
07:45
Humans, in contrast, use their language
not merely to describe reality,
not merely to describe reality,
122
453961
6277
07:52
but also to create new realities,
fictional realities.
fictional realities.
123
460262
4524
07:57
A human can say, "Look,
there is a god above the clouds!
there is a god above the clouds!
124
465278
3954
08:01
And if you don't do what I tell you to do,
125
469256
2080
08:03
when you die, God will punish you
and send you to hell."
and send you to hell."
126
471360
3205
08:06
And if you all believe this story
that I've invented,
that I've invented,
127
474986
3772
08:10
then you will follow the same
norms and laws and values,
norms and laws and values,
128
478782
3815
08:14
and you can cooperate.
129
482621
1292
08:16
This is something only humans can do.
130
484278
2350
08:19
You can never convince a chimpanzee
to give you a banana
to give you a banana
131
487207
3841
08:23
by promising him, "... after you die,
you'll go to chimpanzee heaven ..."
you'll go to chimpanzee heaven ..."
132
491072
3793
08:26
(Laughter)
133
494889
1023
08:27
"... and you'll receive lots and lots
of bananas for your good deeds.
of bananas for your good deeds.
134
495936
3262
08:31
So now give me this banana."
135
499222
1422
08:32
No chimpanzee will ever
believe such a story.
believe such a story.
136
500668
2758
08:35
Only humans believe such stories,
137
503776
2690
08:38
which is why we control the world,
138
506490
2083
08:40
whereas the chimpanzees are locked up
in zoos and research laboratories.
in zoos and research laboratories.
139
508597
4845
08:46
Now you may find it acceptable that yes,
140
514904
2940
08:49
in the religious field, humans cooperate
by believing in the same fictions.
by believing in the same fictions.
141
517868
6140
08:56
Millions of people come together
to build a cathedral or a mosque
to build a cathedral or a mosque
142
524032
4952
09:01
or fight in a crusade or a jihad, because
they all believe in the same stories
they all believe in the same stories
143
529008
5742
09:06
about God and heaven and hell.
144
534774
2713
09:09
But what I want to emphasize
is that exactly the same mechanism
is that exactly the same mechanism
145
537979
5239
09:15
underlies all other forms
of mass-scale human cooperation,
of mass-scale human cooperation,
146
543242
5864
09:21
not only in the religious field.
147
549130
2520
09:23
Take, for example, the legal field.
148
551674
2278
09:26
Most legal systems today in the world
are based on a belief in human rights.
are based on a belief in human rights.
149
554531
5977
09:33
But what are human rights?
150
561247
1777
09:35
Human rights, just like God and heaven,
are just a story that we've invented.
are just a story that we've invented.
151
563596
4702
09:40
They are not an objective reality;
152
568322
2318
09:42
they are not some biological effect
about homo sapiens.
about homo sapiens.
153
570664
3666
09:46
Take a human being,
cut him open, look inside,
cut him open, look inside,
154
574719
3799
09:50
you will find the heart, the kidneys,
neurons, hormones, DNA,
neurons, hormones, DNA,
155
578542
5127
09:55
but you won't find any rights.
156
583693
1888
09:58
The only place you find rights
are in the stories
are in the stories
157
586200
3921
10:02
that we have invented and spread around
over the last few centuries.
over the last few centuries.
158
590145
4133
10:06
They may be very positive stories,
very good stories,
very good stories,
159
594607
4930
10:11
but they're still just fictional stories
that we've invented.
that we've invented.
160
599561
3563
10:15
The same is true of the political field.
161
603664
2520
10:18
The most important factors
in modern politics are states and nations.
in modern politics are states and nations.
162
606565
6370
10:25
But what are states and nations?
163
613333
1800
10:27
They are not an objective reality.
164
615593
2125
10:29
A mountain is an objective reality.
165
617742
2713
10:32
You can see it, you can touch it,
you can ever smell it.
you can ever smell it.
166
620479
3284
10:36
But a nation or a state,
167
624223
1772
10:38
like Israel or Iran or France or Germany,
168
626019
3780
10:41
this is just a story that we've invented
169
629823
2740
10:44
and became extremely attached to.
170
632587
1974
10:46
The same is true of the economic field.
171
634949
2504
10:49
The most important actors today
in the global economy
in the global economy
172
637892
3706
10:53
are companies and corporations.
173
641622
2262
10:56
Many of you today, perhaps, work
for a corporation,
for a corporation,
174
644407
3731
11:00
like Google or Toyota or McDonald's.
175
648162
3050
11:03
What exactly are these things?
176
651577
1818
11:05
They are what lawyers call legal fictions.
177
653982
3947
11:10
They are stories invented and maintained
178
658359
3476
11:13
by the powerful wizards we call lawyers.
179
661859
3333
11:17
(Laughter)
180
665216
1445
11:18
And what do corporations do all day?
181
666685
3419
11:22
Mostly, they try to make money.
182
670128
2853
11:25
Yet, what is money?
183
673411
1333
11:26
Again, money is not an objective reality;
it has no objective value.
it has no objective value.
184
674768
5166
11:31
Take this green piece
of paper, the dollar bill.
of paper, the dollar bill.
185
679958
3317
11:35
Look at it -- it has no value.
186
683299
2377
11:37
You cannot eat it, you cannot drink it,
187
685700
2234
11:39
you cannot wear it.
188
687958
1292
11:41
But then came along
these master storytellers --
these master storytellers --
189
689633
4041
11:45
the big bankers,
190
693698
1484
11:47
the finance ministers,
191
695206
1440
11:48
the prime ministers --
192
696670
1354
11:50
and they tell us a very convincing story:
193
698048
2478
11:52
"Look, you see this green piece of paper?
194
700550
1958
11:54
It is actually worth 10 bananas."
195
702532
2583
11:57
And if I believe it, and you believe it,
196
705591
2109
11:59
and everybody believes it,
197
707724
1516
12:01
it actually works.
198
709264
1864
12:03
I can take this worthless piece of paper,
199
711152
2913
12:06
go to the supermarket,
200
714089
1637
12:07
give it to a complete stranger
whom I've never met before,
whom I've never met before,
201
715750
4007
12:11
and get, in exchange, real bananas
which I can actually eat.
which I can actually eat.
202
719781
4685
12:16
This is something amazing.
203
724870
1721
12:18
You could never do it with chimpanzees.
204
726615
2078
12:20
Chimpanzees trade, of course:
205
728717
1945
12:22
"Yes, you give me a coconut,
I'll give you a banana."
I'll give you a banana."
206
730686
2750
12:25
That can work.
207
733460
1238
12:26
But, you give me
a worthless piece of paper
a worthless piece of paper
208
734722
2992
12:29
and you except me to give you a banana?
209
737738
2014
12:31
No way!
210
739776
1152
12:32
What do you think I am, a human?
211
740952
1581
12:34
(Laughter)
212
742557
2373
12:36
Money, in fact, is
the most successful story
the most successful story
213
744954
4119
12:41
ever invented and told by humans,
214
749097
2656
12:43
because it is the only story
everybody believes.
everybody believes.
215
751777
4343
12:48
Not everybody believes in God,
216
756692
2790
12:51
not everybody believes in human rights,
217
759506
3025
12:54
not everybody believes in nationalism,
218
762555
2785
12:57
but everybody believes in money,
and in the dollar bill.
and in the dollar bill.
219
765364
3743
13:01
Take, even, Osama Bin Laden.
220
769514
1981
13:03
He hated American politics
and American religion
and American religion
221
771519
3687
13:07
and American culture,
222
775230
1449
13:08
but he had no objection
to American dollars.
to American dollars.
223
776703
2806
13:11
He was quite fond of them, actually.
224
779533
2095
13:13
(Laughter)
225
781652
1903
13:16
To conclude, then:
226
784166
1700
13:17
We humans control the world
because we live in a dual reality.
because we live in a dual reality.
227
785890
5768
13:24
All other animals live
in an objective reality.
in an objective reality.
228
792531
3913
13:28
Their reality consists
of objective entities,
of objective entities,
229
796992
4552
13:33
like rivers and trees
and lions and elephants.
and lions and elephants.
230
801568
3943
13:38
We humans, we also live
in an objective reality.
in an objective reality.
231
806067
3683
13:41
In our world, too, there are rivers
and trees and lions and elephants.
and trees and lions and elephants.
232
809774
5068
13:47
But over the centuries,
233
815421
1845
13:49
we have constructed on top
of this objective reality
of this objective reality
234
817290
4727
13:54
a second layer of fictional reality,
235
822041
3493
13:57
a reality made of fictional entities,
236
825558
3564
14:01
like nations, like gods,
like money, like corporations.
like money, like corporations.
237
829146
4533
14:06
And what is amazing is that
as history unfolded,
as history unfolded,
238
834481
4634
14:11
this fictional reality became
more and more powerful
more and more powerful
239
839139
5396
14:16
so that today, the most powerful
forces in the world
forces in the world
240
844559
4501
14:21
are these fictional entities.
241
849084
1965
14:23
Today, the very survival of rivers
and trees and lions and elephants
and trees and lions and elephants
242
851715
6794
14:30
depends on the decisions and wishes
of fictional entities,
of fictional entities,
243
858533
5105
14:35
like the United States, like Google,
like the World Bank --
like the World Bank --
244
863662
4537
14:40
entities that exist only
in our own imagination.
in our own imagination.
245
868223
4039
14:44
Thank you.
246
872929
1152
14:46
(Applause)
247
874105
4571
14:56
Bruno Giussani: Yuval, you have
a new book out.
a new book out.
248
884299
2210
14:58
After Sapiens, you wrote another one,
249
886533
1803
15:00
and it's out in Hebrew, but not
yet translated into ...
yet translated into ...
250
888360
2587
15:02
Yuval Noah Harari: I'm working on
the translation as we speak.
the translation as we speak.
251
890971
2929
15:05
BG: In the book, if I
understand it correctly,
understand it correctly,
252
893924
2168
15:08
you argue that the amazing breakthroughs
that we are experiencing right now
that we are experiencing right now
253
896116
5629
15:13
not only will potentially
make our lives better,
make our lives better,
254
901769
2259
15:16
but they will create -- and I quote you --
255
904052
2236
15:18
"... new classes and new class struggles,
just as the industrial revolution did."
just as the industrial revolution did."
256
906312
4618
15:22
Can you elaborate for us?
257
910954
1223
15:24
YNH: Yes. In the industrial revolution,
258
912670
1924
15:26
we saw the creation of a new class
of the urban proletariat.
of the urban proletariat.
259
914618
4902
15:31
And much of the political and social
history of the last 200 years involved
history of the last 200 years involved
260
919544
5110
15:36
what to do with this class,
and the new problems and opportunities.
and the new problems and opportunities.
261
924678
3626
15:40
Now, we see the creation of a new
massive class of useless people.
massive class of useless people.
262
928328
4632
15:44
(Laughter)
263
932984
1001
15:46
As computers become better and better
in more and more fields,
in more and more fields,
264
934009
5361
15:51
there is a distinct possibility that
computers will out-perform us
computers will out-perform us
265
939394
4892
15:56
in most tasks and will make
humans redundant.
humans redundant.
266
944310
3603
15:59
And then the big political
and economic question
and economic question
267
947937
2737
16:02
of the 21st century will be,
268
950698
2363
16:05
"What do we need humans for?",
269
953085
2162
16:07
or at least, "What do we need
so many humans for?"
so many humans for?"
270
955271
3367
16:10
BG: Do you have an answer in the book?
271
958662
2458
16:13
YNH: At present, the best guess
we have is to keep them happy
we have is to keep them happy
272
961144
4020
16:17
with drugs and computer games ...
273
965188
1797
16:19
(Laughter)
274
967009
1001
16:20
but this doesn't sound
like a very appealing future.
like a very appealing future.
275
968034
3271
16:23
BG: Ok, so you're basically saying
in the book and now,
in the book and now,
276
971329
2809
16:26
that for all the discussion
about the growing evidence
about the growing evidence
277
974162
2786
16:28
of significant economic inequality,
we are just kind of at the beginning
we are just kind of at the beginning
278
976972
3763
16:32
of the process?
279
980759
1157
16:34
YNH: Again, it's not a prophecy;
280
982225
1526
16:35
it's seeing all kinds
of possibilities before us.
of possibilities before us.
281
983775
3943
16:39
One possibility is this creation
of a new massive class of useless people.
of a new massive class of useless people.
282
987742
4982
16:44
Another possibility is
the division of humankind
the division of humankind
283
992748
3140
16:47
into different biological castes,
284
995912
2991
16:50
with the rich being upgraded
into virtual gods,
into virtual gods,
285
998927
4291
16:55
and the poor being degraded
to this level of useless people.
to this level of useless people.
286
1003242
4308
16:59
BG: I feel there is another TED talk
coming up in a year or two.
coming up in a year or two.
287
1007574
3022
17:02
Thank you, Yuval, for making the trip.
288
1010620
1822
17:04
YNH: Thanks!
289
1012466
1156
17:05
(Applause)
290
1013646
1665
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Yuval Noah Harari - Historian, authorIn his book "Homo Deus," Yuval Noah Harari explores the future of humankind: the destinies we may set for ourselves and the quests we'll undertake.
Why you should listen
In his book, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, Yuval Noah Harari explores the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the 21st century -- from overcoming death to creating artificial life. He maps the future and asks fundamental questions: Where do we go from here? How will we protect this fragile world from our own destructive powers? The book has sold four million copies since its publication in 2016.
Harari's previous book, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, explores what made homo sapiens the most successful species on the planet. His answer: We are the only animal that can believe in things that exist purely in our imagination, such as gods, states, money, human rights, corporations and other fictions, and we have developed a unique ability to use these stories to unify and organize groups and ensure cooperation. Sapiens has sold eight million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages. Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and President Barack Obama have recommended it as a must-read.
Harari lectures as a Professor of history at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he specializes in world history, medieval history and military history. His current research focuses on macro-historical questions: What is the relationship between history and biology? What is the essential difference between Homo sapiens and other animals? Is there justice in history? Does history have a direction? Did people become happier as history unfolded? Harari has written for newspapers such as The Guardian, Financial Times, the Times, Nature magazine and the Wall Street Journal.
Harari's new book, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, will take the pulse of our current global climate, focusing on the biggest questions of the present moment: What is really happening right now? What are today’s greatest challenges and choices? What should we pay attention to? The book will be published in multiple languages in September 2018.
Yuval Noah Harari | Speaker | TED.com