What is this technology? What are we doing with it? What is it doing to us? … Where is humanity heading with this stuff? More than Human: Breakthrough I & II, National Geographic 2015
The idea of trying to find mechanical ways to enhance ourselves is nothing new. ibid.
Since the dawn of our species humanity has never stopped moving forward … Could we mortals ever gain power over the entire universe? Will we become God? Morgan Freeman’s Through the Wormhole s5s5: Will We Become God? Science 2014
That song was All You Need is Love … We were swept up by the sense of hope that love was all you needed. The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman s1e1: All You Need is Love, National Geographic 2017
Is it really naive to think that love can change the world? ibid.
Human society may not have made it without this kind of love … It’s the basic glue that holds mankind together. ibid.
Mississippi: This state was segregated: it was Us and Them. Jim Crow may be long behind us but the state is still separate, still divided … Is this tribalism part of human nature? The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman s1e2: Us and Them
Leaders have come into power who promise division, not unity. ibid.
Nationalism is on the rise. ibid.
Freedom. You say America and it’s probably the next word that comes to mind. It’s our fundamental right to live our lives however we want. But freedom isn’t something we’ve always had. The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman s1e3: The March of Freedom
Around the world there is a growing tide of freedom. ibid.
It never occurred to me that the rights to freedom spelled out in the Declaration of Independence were deliberately phrased to exclude slaves and women. ibid.
They believed the wars they fought were necessary and just. The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman s1e4: The Fight for Peace
Drones might be the biggest distrupters yet making war possible at merely the push of a button. ibid.
Northern Ireland isn’t alone in equating the separation of warring sides with peace. ibid.
We are only here because of good luck not good management. ibid.
Sometimes we disagree with the person at the top … Does society work best when organised around a strong leader? Or is there another better way? What makes a good leader? The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman s1e5: The Power of Us
Any society that stops people from being who they truly are is bound to fall. ibid.
Lobbying, greed and corruption strip voters of their power. ibid.
These rebels changed the world. But countless others failed. What makes a rebellion succeed? Why do rebellions start? How do rebel movements spread? And what makes the rebels’ spirit ignite a revolution? The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman s1e6: The Spirit of Rebellion
Hackers are a new form of rebel. ibid.
Real rebellion is a marathon. ibid.
When you examine the path of mankind across Time distinct patterns emerge. By recognising the forces that create these patterns you can decode the secrets of man. Secret History of Humans I: Lust for Luxury, History 2020
Our lust for luxury is a powerful force that has shaped the human story … This unquenchable desire for the exotic. ibid.
Pepper … Silk … Silver … Cotton … A Ford Model T costs just a few months’ wages … Exclusive luxuries can now be made available for millions. Yesterday’s luxuries become today’s necessities and changed the world in unexpected ways. ibid.
Throughout history the journey of mankind has been shaped by a race to develop the most effective weapon. To decode mankind we need to understand how the arms race has helped us to survive and made us what we are today … Civilisation also has a dark side. Secret History of Humans II: Arms
Since the dawn of man our need to communicate and connect with one another has been the key to our success and survival. To decode mankind we need to understand how these connections and consequences make us what we are today. The first major connection that brings people together is trade. Secrets History of Humans III: Connecting the World
The awesome power of nature, of the Earth itself … Our destiny has been shaped by the planet we live on. Indonesia 70,000 years ago: Mount Toba, a volcano on the island of Sumatra, erupts. It’s the biggest eruption in 2,000,000 years. Trillions of tons of ash are blown into the stratosphere, blocking out the sun, turning the world cold and barren. Secret History of Humans IV: Violent Planet
We share our world with another lifeform without which we couldn’t exist. They feed us, clothe us, house us, enrich us, and even alter our moods … ‘We can’t survive on this planet without plants’. Secret History of Humans V: Plants: Eat It, Drink It, Smoke It
Surprisingly, farming brings new problems: early farmers concentrate on growing too much of one crop: wheat. As a result, we shrink. These humans are five inches shorter than their nomadic predecessors. ibid.
Throughout history the story of mankind has been shaped by machines that have helped us to survive … Our first machine: the stone tool … A new innovation: the needle … The oldest known wheel is over 5,000 years old … Secret History of Humans VI: Rise of the Machines
Metal gives us tools, weapons, and engineering. But from the moment we first discovered it, we develop a need for metal … Metal production was first discovered over 7,000 years ago. Secret History of Humans VII: Man & Metals
Our need for food, water and shelter requires energy. Our quest to secure that energy has shaped the path we have taken. Secret History of Humans VIII: Fire, Coal & Oils
We weren’t always top of the food chain: we are only one of five thousand species of mammals. Secret History of Humans IX: Man & Beast
The power of information has secured our survival and created the modern world … Today there are 98 alphabets in use worldwide. Secret History of Humans X: Information is Power
Stonehenge: an incredible man-made monument: stones dragged 156 miles and placed upright using levers and counter-weights, all without the use of the wheel. Breathtaking now, almost unimaginable then. Secret History of Humans XI: Building Earth
Speed has been essential to our existence. We learnt early on that it is an advantage in the battle for survival … ‘Pretty much all animals that can eat us run faster.’ Secret History of Humans XII: Need for Speed, historian
8 bison drawn on this cave wall … we see primitive horses … ibex … absolutely sensational … This is about our history. Chris Packham, Earth V: Human, BBC 2023
The world of the dinosaurs was destroyed making way for the rise of the mammals. It’s a tale of turmoil and upheaval. ibid.
We were going to be a significantly powerful force … We’ve radically altered life on the planet. ibid.
Imagine a suburban mom with super-strength more formidible than the world’s strongest man; or a man who is immune to lightning; how about a mere mortail who is faster than a human bullet. The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd s1e6: Superhumans, History 2024
Roy Sullivan: The chances of being struck by lightning seven different times are is one of of ten to the twenty-eighth power. ibid.