Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari’s work could leave any person intrigued most of the times with his impressive opening statements.
One such sentence is here: “Homo sapiens, as we know them, will disappear in a century or so,” now this as an opening sentence would leave any person reading it perplexed about the writer.
This impressive author was in India to speak at a conclave, where he spoke about man’s rush towards self-destruction without necessary countermeasures that would only lead him to an end.
The UK has been truly kind to #sapiens and #homodeus. Both have featured on @thesundaytimes top 10 bestsellers list for a long time, with several weeks at number 1 and 2 recently. pic.twitter.com/bq5i01fMBP
— Yuval Noah Harari (@harari_yuval) November 13, 2017
He highlighted about the time when war was the only option left for survival but since the end of Second World War, this was ended thus no major battles were fought which could have easily lead to third world war.
He said, “For the first time in history, you are your worst enemies. Fewer people died in 2017 due to UN violence than due to obesity, car accidents and suicides,” he said.
Statistically, you have a greater chance of killing yourself than any soldier or terrorist. Sugar is a greater danger than gunpowder. You are more likely to die from drinking too much cola than being blown up by al-Qaeda. And this is very good news.”
Speaking about the threatening nuclear war that could possibly happen in the near future due to mankind’s stupidity he said this global cooperation achieved by nations, must be protected, at any cost, he says, “this human stupidity has always been the most powerful forces on earth and that you should never underestimate human stupidity.”
Referring to humankind and its character he says, “Homo sapiens have proven to be ecological serial killers for thousands of years. We are responsible for the extinction of numerous plants and animals. Now we are putting in danger the survival of our species as well as much of life on earth.”
“Climate change and ecological collapse are a present reality. It is already happening all around us. If things continue in present course, in 50 years, it might be impossible to live in Mumbai. Either because the Indian Ocean will rise and swallow up much of the city or because it will be so hot, that nobody could live here.”
He says there is nature that is already pushing us towards several disasters and that not a single nation can prevent these natural disasters. Now the countries are dependent on each other and hence need each other.
He adds that advancements in AI and bioengineering are the two key challenges of the future. “AI may completely disrupt the global job market as computers and robots outperform humans. Billions of people may be pushed out of the job market. And we will see the creation of an enormous new class — the useless class. Just as the industrial revolution of the 19th century created the urban working class, the automation revolution of the 21st century may create the useless class. Useless, not from the perspective of their loved ones, but from the economic and political viewpoint. There could be millions of people who have no economic value and hence, no political power.”