Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

Humans first appeared how long ago?

2.5 million years ago.

Explain the first human migration?

1) Left East Africa for more promising environments.

2) Adaptations to these new environments led to evolving into even more forms of Homo, including the neanderthals.

It wasn't until when that homo sapiens first appeared?

300,000 years ago.

What was special about homo sapiens?

Nothing.

We had large brains and stood upright, but nothing really specific set us apart from other forms of homo.

All the other human species' died out. Why?

Two theories:

1) Interbreeding Theory: homo sapiens bred with other species of homo and this led to the species' merging together.

2) Replacement Theory: homo sapiens thanks to their superior skills and technology pushed other species to extinction.

3) Both are partially correct: homo sapiens bred with them but also led them to extinction.

What happened during the Cognitive Revolution?

Homo sapiens acquired communication and thinking skills that allowed them to conquer the world.

How long ago was the Cognitive Revolution?

70,000 years ago.

What gave homo sapiens the advantage and drove the extinction of the other humans?

1) The unique structure of the human brain, the Cognitive Revolution gave homo sapiens superior brain power.

2) They formed larger, more sophisticated communities with trade networks.

3) Invented technology for hunting tools and techniques.

What's an example of the Cognitive Revolution in action?

The passage through the Siberian passage. They used tools to hunt mammoths and they stayed warm in communities.

This revolution in brainpower established what?

The ability to travel the world and to subdue it, spreading humanity to every continent.

As humanity spread across the globe, what did they cause?

Extinction of many species.

What was the greatest advantage of homo sapiens?

The use of complex language.

What does language allow?

Important information to flow freely amidst a community.

What is the biggest benefit of language?

Helps create a common understanding between a group.

How do homo sapiens cooperate?

1) Flexibly.

2) In large numbers.

Language allows the additional discussion of what?

Abstract ideas, what the author refers to as common myths. Fictional creations of human minds.

What do abstract ideas create?

Community.

How did early homo sapiens live? What changed?

In small bands of 150 or so. Language arrived and allowed much larger communities.

For most of our history, homo sapiens have lived how?

Nomadic, hunter-gathering.

What happened 12,000 years ago?

The Agricultural Revolution.

What happened during the Agricultural Revolution?

Homo sapiens stopped relying on hunter-gathering, and instead began

1) cultivating crops.

2) domesticating animals.

Within 10,000 years after the Agricultural Revolution, what?

All humans were agricultural.

What are two reasons the Agricultural Revolution is puzzling?

1) It's more time consuming. Needing to work from dawn to dusk on crops when before four hours hunting would provide enough food.

2) The quality of food is worse. Early agriculture provided a narrow scope of cereals, such as wheat, which are hard to digest vs. meats, nuts, and fish.

So, why the Agricultural Revolution?

1) The change was slow and gradual, not immediate. With each generation it became more socially ingrained.

2) By the time historians uncovered the downside of farming, it was too late.

3) Agriculture is far more efficient. On just a small patch of land you could grow a diverse amount of crops.

What happened because agriculture was so efficient?

The population exploded.

In order to facilitate trade in large communities, what happened?

Humans invented money and writing.

Life before the agricultural revolution was what?

Very simple.

With the development of agriculture, how did community change?

1) Favours developed into a barter system.

2) People began to specialize in other skills.

Because of other skills, what happened?

Bartering (trading what you make for something else) became common place.

As the trading market continued to grow, what happened?

1) It became difficult for people to find people to trade their goods with for what they wanted.

2) So money and writing was created.

When was writing and money created?

3,000 BC.

Who were the first to create money and writing? Why?

1) The Sumerians of Mesopotamia.

2) In order to store information needed for complex trades, they began etching transactions on clay tablets.

What pushed humans to global unification?

The emergence of empires and religion.

Economy at first was not smooth after the creation of money and writing. So what happened? Then what?

1) Humans developed laws to govern how people behaved.

2) Hierarchies.

Although nowadays we see them as cruel and authoritarian, what did monarchies establish?

Stability.

In order to enforce their laws, the rulers needed their people to accept their authority. How did they do this?

The creation of religion. If people accepted that their rulership was instated by God, they would accept it.

As empires spread, what happened?

So did their religions.

The scientific revolution paved the way for what?

1) New technologies.

2) Imperialism.

3) Economic growth.

For most of history, humans have been pessimistic. How?

1) They believed not in their own abilities. They rather believed in the pre-ordained order of God and that their fate was sealed, so just let it happen.

2) Didn't pursue knowledge or new technology.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the pessimistic attitude changed? How?

A scientific revolution swept through Europe and people began to believe they could change the world through science.

Science not only improved health, but what? What then happened?

1) Economy.

2) Governments showered explorers and scientists with money.

Our modern central belief in capitalism is a result of what?

European imperialism.

Most people live lives centred around what?

Capitalism: Money and gaining financial freedom.

The power and reach of global capitalism is eroding what?

Religion and globally unique cultures.

Modern science has disproved what?

Many religious notions. Such as God creating the world in seven days. We now believe in evolution.

What is replacing the belief of happiness to come in the afterlife?

1) The chase for happiness now, driving the force of capitalism.

2) Consumer culture.

Human society has never been so what in our modern, globalized culture?

Peaceful.

Critics of globalization claim what?

It is eroding unique cultures.

Globalization has one huge benefit. What is it?

Peace.

Modern nations do what? Why?

1) Depend on each other for prosperity.

2) Instability in one area will have economic effects for everyone.

Since 1945, what?

No country has been conquered by another.

The 20th century is what?

The most peaceful century ever recorded.

History is what?

1) Neither good or bad.

2) Its twists and turns are irrelevant to our happiness.

Although health, wealth, and knowledge have vastly improved, are we happier?

Probably not. According to surveys, our happiness remains relatively consistently.

In the future, homo sapiens will what?

Transcend biological limits, eventually replacing itself with an entirely new species.