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We are Sapiens

The history of human-beings is outlined in Yuval Noah Harari's "Sapiens". I recently read it, which examines the last 70,000 years and guides readers through how our world evolved into what it is. Revolutions have shaped the current world and should not be forgotten. I think we can all feel that a similar sort of enormous change is happening, right now, therefore I thought I'd highlight the revolutions of the past for this month's blog.

Cognitive Revolution

The moment in history when apes gained a consciousness, eventually developing into the living, walking, breathing people that everyone embodies today. All of us share the same core DNA. The bus driver in Tokyo, teacher in India, grandparent in Italy, and newborn baby in New York. This is unifying to understand. No matter how much we may look, sound, and behave differently from one another, we are all Homo-Sapiens with the same ancestors.

Agricultural Revolution

This started the moment we began to grow our own food from the Earth. It planted us in place. We are now fortunate to have the luxury of grocery stores, rather than searching for food ourselves. The people who work to feed us are essential for our survival. Instant access to food is so normalized nowadays that for the longest time, I was unaware that farmers actually existed, until I lived next to one for an entire year in Kakamigahara. There I saw what kind of diligence and work-ethic it takes to feed the world.

Industrial Revolution

We began to create machinery and construction that set up our buildings, roads, and means of transportation. It led us to make things that allowed for human-potential to skyrocket, literally. We have been continuously innovating year after year. Tokyo is looking like a giant industrial playground nowadays, so is Times Square, but unfortunately it is quite scary to compare the over vs. under developed areas of our world. Why must we continue to update our modern cities yet leave our older infrastructures to rot?

Scientific Revolution

When medicine advanced to a level that could effectively treat illnesses. Science is the north star of our societies. In the middle of a global pandemic, in the Fall of 2020, let us put our trust into science to lead us out of the darkness.

Technological Revolution

When the internet and modern technological devices swept the world and captured our attention. We are now consumed with information on a daily basis. From central Japan to the east coast of the United States, two places I've lived, we are relying on smartphones for almost all information, distraction and interaction. Be careful, though, because mass consumption is in our DNA.

Tens of thousands of years ago, when someone found a source of food, say a berry tree, they consumed it immediately. They did not save some for the next day. They did not even wonder if it was healthy for them. They consumed it, without any hesitation, because humans have a craving for food.

But,

Sometimes this berry tree was poisonous and caused sickness. This was the problem.

Humans also have a craving for information and this is the problem with modern technology. It is so easily accessible and there is so much of it. Internet addiction is present in nearly all parts of the world because it is filling our craving to consume information, but now we know that too much of it is poisonous to our minds. Consumerism is here to stay, it is in our DNA, but being conscious of what we consume can help our overall well-being.

J.S





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