What explains the rise of Humans? | TED Talk by Yuval Noah Harari

A TED talk from Yuval Noah Harari, author of Sapiens and Homo Deus — two of my favourite books from 2017.

The video explains the core argument that Harari made in Sapiens — the argument that all human achievement has been made possible by our ability to cooperate using shared fictions. The building of vast places of worship is made possible by a shared belief in higher powers; the building of vast financial markets is made possible by a shared belief in money. Neither higher powers nor money are objective realities… but our shared belief in them allows us to cooperate and achieve incredible things.

The video also touches on the focus of Homo Deus — what the future holds for the human race given the rapid development of artificial intelligence. If the end of the video leaves you wanting more… be sure to read both books.