Yuval Noah Harari & Sapienship Youth Debate Current Events, Popular Films, & the Future

Introduction

The interviewer introduces the guest and explains that they will not be discussing Ukraine. They then ask about the possibility of a shorter workweek.

• The interviewer introduces the guest and sets the tone for the interview.

• The interviewer states that they will not be discussing Ukraine.

• The interviewer asks about the possibility of a shorter workweek.

Evolution of Conflict in Ukraine

The interviewer explains that they will not be discussing Ukraine as it has already been discussed extensively. They express their interest in hearing from the guest about what's next.

• The airspace is already over-saturated with opinions on evolution of conflict in Ukraine.

• Interviewer expresses interest in hearing from guest about what's next.

Shorter Work Week

The interviewer asks if a shorter work week is long overdue, given automation threats to jobs.

• Interviewer asks if a change to a shorter work week is long overdue.

• California is debating legislation for making the work week 32 hours long.

• France has already implemented a 35-hour workweek and is debating whether to shorten it to 32 hours.

• Guest believes it's almost impossible to make predictions about job market due to rapid changes caused by automation.

Automation Threats

Guest discusses how automation threatens jobs while creating new ones, making it difficult to predict future job markets.

• Job market changing faster than ever before due to automation.

• Automation will destroy many jobs while creating completely new ones that we cannot even imagine yet.

Extreme Inequalities

Guest discusses how extreme inequalities may arise due to differences in skills required for different types of jobs, leading some regions or countries becoming extremely powerful and rich while others collapse.

• Extreme inequalities may arise due to differences in skills required for different types of jobs.

• Some regions or countries may become extremely powerful and rich while others collapse.

Ideal Work Week

The interviewer asks the guest about their opinion on the ideal work week, given that the 40-hour workweek was introduced in the US in 1940.

• Guest believes that many jobs are not worth saving and we need to protect people, not jobs.

• The ideal workweek depends on how we define work.

• In a utopian society of the future, maybe you don't need to work at all.

Finding Meaning in Work

The interviewer discusses how people find meaning in their work and how this affects opinions on ideal work weeks.

• Many people gain meaning from their work.

• The question of the ideal work time for humans simply depends on how we define "work".

Conclusion

Guest concludes by discussing how hard meditation is and reiterating that much of what defines "work" is subjective.

• Meditation is extremely hard work but nobody pays him to do it.

• Much of what defines "work" is subjective.

Self-Censorship and Cancel Culture

Professor Harari discusses self-censorship and cancel culture, emphasizing the importance of public figures being mindful of what they say in public while also having private time to let go.

Self-Censorship

• Public intellectuals should tailor what they say for their audience.

• The biggest issue with cancel culture is the abolition of private space and time.

• There should be a difference between what is said in public versus private.

• Politicians should have their private time to say whatever they want without fear of being recorded or creating political scandal.

Cancel Culture

• The human mind is full of garbage, so people need to be careful about what they do and say in public.

• Private time allows people to relax and let go of their guard.

• To have a healthy democracy, politicians, authors, and public figures need their private time to say even stupid things.

Decline of Violence and War

Professor Harari discusses Stephen Pinker's thesis on the decline of violence and war, clarifying that it does not mean war has completely disappeared from the world but rather that we are living in the most peaceful era in human history.

Pinker's Thesis

• The decline of violence and war is a statistical issue.

• The early 21st century is still the most peaceful era in human history when viewed from a broad circle perspective.

• When talking about these things, we talk in terms of centuries and thousands of years.

Complacency

• People should not be complacent about the current state of peace but rather continue working towards maintaining it.

The Nature of Violence and Responsibility

In this section, the speaker discusses the nature of violence in the world and how it is not solely the responsibility of individuals like Putin. He argues that while there is a law of nature that maintains a similar level of violence in every era, humans can reduce wars through better global institutions and protection of universal values.

Violence as a Law of Nature

• The same level of violence exists in the world throughout history.

• This means that people like Putin are not solely responsible for war.

• There is a law of nature that maintains a similar level of violence in every era.

Reducing Wars Through Better Global Institutions

• Humans can reduce wars through better global institutions.

• We need to protect universal values and global norms to keep peace.

• The terrible war in Ukraine is man-made, not a natural disaster.

• We should make an even bigger effort to reduce wars further.

Having Children as a Personal Choice

In this section, the speaker discusses whether younger people should refrain from having children due to concerns about overpopulation. He argues that having children is a personal choice and governments or religions should not dictate how many children people have.

Birth Rates and Overpopulation

• Birth rates are declining globally due to factors such as women's liberation and improved healthcare.

• It's not just a Western phenomenon; birth rates are also low in East Asia and some Muslim countries.

• There are enough humans on earth, so we don't have to worry about human kind disappearing if birth rates decline further.

Having Children as Personal Choice

• Having children is a completely personal choice.

• Governments or religions should not tell people how many children they should have.

• People may choose to have children for their own interests or purposes, or to help someone else with their baggage.

• The fundamental question is why people have children.

Philosophical and Spiritual Perspectives on Having Children

In this section, the speaker discusses the philosophical, existential, and spiritual aspects of having children. He argues that there are two common approaches to having children: one where people have children for their own interests and purposes, and another where people have children to help someone else with their baggage.

Two Approaches to Having Children

• People may have children for their own interests or purposes.

• They may want someone to take on their dreams, fantasies, nation, religion, party, etc.

• Alternatively, people may choose to help someone else with their baggage.

• This approach depends on one's religious or spiritual views.

Understanding Children and Work-Life Balance

In this section, Professor Harari talks about his thoughts on having children and work-life balance. He also shares some personal experiences and insights.

Having Children and Work-Life Balance

• Professor Harari never really thought about having children until he realized that other people have kids.

• He believes that being industrious also means taking time to chill and do things you enjoy.

• Professor Harari watches a lot of series on Netflix, plays with friends, goes hiking, among other things.

• He was lucky to have done what he fancied most of the time in his life.

Being a Politician in a Peripheral Country

In this section, Professor Harari talks about what he would do if he became the president or prime minister of a slightly peripheral country with 38 million population.

First Move as Prime Minister

• If given the power, Professor Harari's first move would be to end the internal culture war tearing society apart in many countries.

• He believes that it is beyond his powers to end the culture war but thinks it is one of the biggest problems internally for many countries in the West.

National Unity in Ukraine

In this section, Professor Harari talks about national unity in Ukraine and whether it will dissolve or stay united.

National Unity in Ukraine

• Professor Harari hopes and thinks there are good reasons to believe that national unity will stay united even though approval rates may change over time.

• He believes that phenomenal approval rates for a leader in normal times are usually a bad sign and indicative of living in a totalitarian dictatorship.

Progress on Prolonging Human Life

In this section, Professor Harari talks about his opinion on the progress of prolonging human life.

Progress on Prolonging Human Life

• Professor Harari is optimistic about longevity technology but not sure if he was ever optimistic about it in the past.

• The question about time horizons is important since longevity technology may take longer than expected to develop.

The Dangers of Radical Life Extension

In this section, the speaker discusses his pessimism about technologies that aim to extend human life indefinitely. He argues that such technologies will likely be expensive and only available to a small portion of humanity, creating a sharp divide in society.

The Terrible Scenario of Indefinite Life Extension

• In previous human societies, death was always equal for everyone, including emperors and kings.

• If a small elite group is able to stay young and live indefinitely while most people continue to grow old and die, it would create a terrible scenario for humankind politically, ethically, and socially.

The Transition Period of New Technologies

• While the cost of radical life extension technology may eventually go down to almost zero like other technologies, the transition period could be difficult.

• The more radical the technology, the greater the upheaval during the transition period.

Information Technology and Cognitive Bias Reduction

In this section, the speaker discusses his skepticism about dataism as an answer to human challenges. He argues that while information technology can reduce cognitive biases if used correctly, it can also be used to impose lies.

Growth in Information is Not Growth in Truth

• Looking at human history shows that growth in information does not necessarily lead to growth in truth.

• Efficient information systems can also be very efficient repressive systems.

Using Information Technology for Reducing Cognitive Bias

• It depends on what we do with new information technology. We can use it to reduce cognitive bias by being more aware of our own biases.

• Technological tests can accurately show the level of racism or misogyny in individuals.

Treating the Body and Quality of Life

In this section, the speaker discusses his personal choices for treating his body and how they relate to prolonging life. He refrains from eating meat for ethical reasons and avoids alcohol and drugs to clarify his mind.

Personal Choices for Treating the Body

• The speaker refrains from eating meat for ethical reasons, not because he believes it will prolong his life.

• The speaker avoids alcohol and other drugs because he works hard to clarify his mind.

Technological Inventions and Organizational Reforms

Harari discusses the issue of overdiagnosis and underdiagnosis in modern times. He compares life in the Middle Ages to modernity, stating that while there were fun moments in the past, it was not a fun period overall. He also talks about the idea of eugenics and genetic engineering.

Overdiagnosis and Underdiagnosis

• Harari notes that technological inventions have led to both overdiagnosis and underdiagnosis.

• In the past, people were often underdiagnosed, but now there are issues with overdiagnosis.

• While there are serious problems with overdiagnosis, life is still better than it was in the Middle Ages.

Eugenics and Genetic Engineering

• Harari is against genetic engineering at present because humans do not yet understand themselves well enough to start messing with their genes.

• Most human qualities are determined by a combination of many genes, so tweaking one gene could have unintended consequences.

• Instead of trying to re-engineer humans, research should focus on understanding them better.

The Vikings and Happiness

Harari discusses whether or not the Vikings were happy people. He also talks about his views on genetic engineering.

The Vikings

• While the Vikings were tough people, they may not have been happier than Swedes or Danes today.

• Reading sagas and ecological evidence suggests that happiness levels may be similar across time periods.

Genetic Engineering

• Harari believes that genetic engineering should only be used for severe diseases where we understand the genetic mechanisms behind them.

• He does not believe that we can engineer bright people simply by changing their genetic code since someone with the same code can grow up to be a saint or a monster.

Trusting Institutions and Experts

Harari discusses the issue of trusting institutions and experts. He talks about how we cannot research everything ourselves and must trust institutions, but not all institutions are equally trustworthy.

Trusting Institutions

• We cannot research everything ourselves, so we must trust institutions.

• The question is which institutions to trust since not all of them are equally trustworthy.

• A good institution is one that has self-correction mechanisms in place.

JP Morgan

• JP Morgan recently retracted a statement calling China uninvestable because they were afraid of losing business in China.

• This shows that even respected banks can lie and manipulate information.

Overall, Harari discusses various topics such as overdiagnosis, underdiagnosis, genetic engineering, happiness levels across time periods, and trusting institutions. He provides insights into these topics while also acknowledging the limitations of human understanding.

Science vs Religion

In this section, the speaker discusses the differences between science and religion as institutions. He talks about how science is built around a self-correcting mechanism, while religious institutions are often infallible and have difficulty acknowledging institutional mistakes.

Self-Correcting Mechanism of Science

• The institution of science is built around a self-correcting mechanism.

• Scientific institutions have the humility and honesty to take responsibility for their mistakes as an institution.

Infallibility of Religious Institutions

• Religious institutions are often infallible and can never make any mistakes.

• The speaker finds it problematic that religious institutions cannot acknowledge institutional mistakes.

Acknowledging Institutional Mistakes

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of acknowledging institutional mistakes. He uses examples from both scientific and government institutions to illustrate his point.

Acknowledging Institutional Mistakes in Science

• The discipline of biology was tainted by severe racism for a long period, but most biologists would acknowledge that it was an institutional mistake.

• The speaker trusts scientific institutions because they have the humility and honesty to take responsibility for their mistakes as an institution.

Acknowledging Institutional Mistakes in Government

• The US foreign minister acknowledges past crimes committed by the US government, unlike China's foreign minister who does not acknowledge similar crimes committed by China.

• It is important to acknowledge institutional mistakes in government because they have immense implications for the future.

Navigating Conflicting Information on COVID Origins

In this section, the speaker discusses his own experience of navigating conflicting information on the origins of COVID-19. He emphasizes the importance of acknowledging what we don't know and trusting scientific institutions.

Conflicting Information on COVID Origins

• The speaker initially thought that theories about the man-made origins of COVID-19 were far-right conspiracy theories.

• The speaker later saw strong evidence supporting the lab leak theory, but still feels uncertain about what is true.

Acknowledging What We Don't Know

• The speaker acknowledges that there are many things we don't know as individuals and emphasizes the importance of trusting scientific institutions.

• Proceed with caution when new information comes in and wait for experts to weigh in before rushing to adopt a strong view.

Understanding Virology and Conspiracy Theories

In this section, Professor Harari discusses his lack of understanding of virology and quantum mechanics. He also talks about the issue with conspiracy theories and the importance of understanding the incentives behind them.

Lack of Understanding in Virology and Quantum Mechanics

• Professor Harari admits to not understanding virology or quantum mechanics.

• He compares his lack of knowledge to that of nuclear physics, where he trusts what nuclear physicists tell him about nuclear weapons.

• He believes that if there was a worldwide conspiracy among nuclear physicists to lie about nuclear weapons, it would be difficult to uncover their motives.

Incentives Behind Conspiracy Theories

• Professor Harari questions the incentives behind conspiracy theories.

• He uses the example of people believing that aliens built the ancient pyramids and egyptologists hiding secret technology from the public.

• He argues that egyptologists would have every incentive to reveal such information if it were true because it would attract more students and funding for their field.

Decision Making During Crisis Situations

In this section, Professor Harari discusses decision making during crisis situations such as an asteroid heading towards Earth. He talks about who he would trust in such a situation and why.

Trusting Politicians Over Private Entrepreneurs

• Professor Harari believes that private entrepreneurs should not be responsible for making decisions during crisis situations.

• He argues that they were not elected by anyone and do not represent anyone's interests but their own.

• Instead, he believes politicians who were voted into office have a greater chance of representing the public's interests.

Importance of Scientists Providing Facts

• While scientists should provide the facts during a crisis situation, Professor Harari believes that decision making is not just about the facts.

• He argues that weighing different interests is the job of politicians, not scientists.

Harmful Effects of "Don't Look Up" Movie

In this section, Professor Harari discusses his views on the movie "Don't Look Up" and its harmful effects on trust in governments.

Distrust in Governments

• Professor Harari believes that "Don't Look Up" harms trust in governments.

• He argues that most people were enchanted with the idea of honest people fighting against the government, even though the first plan to destroy the asteroid was cobbled together by the government and NASA.

• He also notes that private entrepreneur billionaires should not have too much influence on government decisions.

Influential European Thinkers

In this section, Professor Harari talks about influential European thinkers who have influenced him.

Influence of Franz Deval

• Professor Harari cites Franz Deval as a big influence on him.

• He notes that Deval is a primatologist who studies apes and other animals.

The Future of Leadership

In this section, Harari discusses the challenges that emergent leaders in political and economic leadership will face and how to prepare for them.

Challenges for Emergent Leaders

• People have a low opinion of politicians, which is dangerous because they turn to other sources for leadership.

• Politicians are denied a private life, making it harder for good people to become politicians.

• It's becoming harder for politicians to relax because they are constantly connected. This is dangerous because politicians need peace of mind to make important decisions.

• Political leaders need time to decompress and relax. Society should give them a break.

Trustless Solutions

In this section, Harari discusses whether introducing trustless solutions is important and if there are any dangers associated with them.

Introducing Trustless Solutions

• Harari thinks that introducing trustless solutions is important.

• The question is about blockchain technology.

Importance of Trust in Society

In this section, Professor Harari discusses the importance of trust in society and how it is the foundation for any large-scale system.

Trust as the Most Important Commodity

• Trust is the most important commodity in any society.

• Money is essentially trust, and any institution or large-scale system is built on trust.

• Humans have always dreamt about finding a perfect technology that can be trusted instead of humans, but until today, it has never worked.

The Original Blockchain

• The original blockchain is the Bible.

• It's based on reaching a consensus among many users about a certain block of code and then sealing it and making many copies of it to prevent falsification.

• However, different people read the same words and interpret them differently, so a human institution was needed to interpret the infallible technology of the holy book.

Need for Human Institutions to Regulate Technology

• Every technology still needs a human institution to regulate it.

• While new technologies are helpful to humanity, we shouldn't think that there is a perfect technology that can solve everything.

• At present, we will always need human institutions to regulate whatever technology exists.

Having Children in an Uncertain Future

In this section, Professor Harari responds to a question from a graduate student at University of Warsaw about whether having children is safe or wise given concerns about climate change and resource scarcity.

Responsibility for Making Decisions About Having Children

• Professor Harari does not believe he has the responsibility to make decisions about whether someone should have children or not.

• It's up to individuals to decide if they want children or not based on their own values and beliefs.

Uncertainty About Future Conditions

• There are no guarantees that the planet will be a friendly and nice place to live beyond 2050.

• It's impossible to predict what the future holds, so it's difficult to say whether having children is safe or wise.

• Individuals must weigh the risks and benefits of having children based on their own values and beliefs.

Need for Human Responsibility

• Regardless of whether someone decides to have children or not, there is a need for human responsibility in managing resources and addressing climate change.

• We cannot rely solely on technology to solve these problems.

Prospective Parents

In this section, Thomas Bajos from the University of Oxford discusses two key points about having children. Firstly, that it has always been a question for prospective parents throughout history as they do not know what kind of world they are bringing their children into. Secondly, he emphasizes that people should have kids for the right reasons and not to solve personal problems.

Reasons to Have Children

• Kids discussions are emotional and immediate.

• People should have kids for the kids and not for themselves or others.

• Having children is a deep spiritual question that requires introspection.

Concerns About the Future

• The worries about climate change and an uncertain future should not deter people from having children.

• There has never been a moment in human history where humans could look forward 50 or 100 years and say it will be a perfect world.

The Future of Europe

In this section, Thomas Bajos talks about his thoughts on the future of Europe amidst its current state of disunity.

Predicting the Future

• It is impossible to predict which scenario will come true as it depends on decisions made by people.

Importance of European Unity

• The war in Ukraine has reminded Europeans how important European unity is.

• Europeans tend to forget their common values until faced with external threats like Putin's behavior.

Ending Culture Wars

• To achieve greater European unity, culture wars within Europe must end.

• Many burning issues can be resolved with open-mindedness and compassion.

Conflicts in History

In this section, the speaker talks about how conflicts that seem important at the moment can become irrelevant over time. He gives an example from religious history and emphasizes the importance of gaining perspective on current events.

Conflicts in Religious History

• Europeans fought over religious differences between Protestants and Catholics in the 16th and 17th centuries, resulting in millions of deaths.

• Eventually, people stopped caring about these differences, and they are no longer a source of conflict today.

• The speaker highlights the difficulty of gaining perspective on current events but stresses its importance.

Sharing Knowledge

In this section, a student asks for advice on the most effective way to share knowledge. The speaker emphasizes flexibility as key to success.

Effective Ways to Share Knowledge

• The speaker believes that books are still an effective way to share knowledge.

• However, he acknowledges that technology is changing rapidly and what works today may not work tomorrow.

• Flexibility is crucial when it comes to sharing knowledge effectively.

Great Men vs. Historical Forces

In this section, a student asks whether individuals like Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos drive history or if historical forces like class warfare are more significant. The speaker argues that both play a role.

Individuals vs. Historical Forces

• While individuals like Elon Musk could not have achieved what they have without certain conditions being met first, powerful individuals do have agency.

• Putin's decision to start a war in Ukraine is an extreme example of how much power one person can wield.

• However, there are also underlying historical forces at play such as class warfare that push society forward.

• It's important to recognize both the role of individuals and historical forces in shaping history.

The Role of China in the World

Maria Schuster from Science Po in Paris asks about the role of China in the world, given that it is a totalitarian country that does not respect values like democracy and human rights. She wonders if we can accept Chinese behavior on these fronts to cooperate with them on combating climate change.

Cooperation with China on Climate Change

• Differentiate between how governments and countries behave internally and externally.

• There are limits to how much you can intervene in another country's internal affairs.

• As long as China respects basic international norms, there should be room for cooperation on issues like climate change.

• Without Chinese cooperation, progress on combating climate change will be limited.

Existential Threats to Humanity

Michael Stankevich from University of Oxford asks about disruptive technologies that are both exciting and worrisome.

Artificial Intelligence and Surveillance Technology

• The combination of artificial intelligence with surveillance technology is an immediate threat.

• This could lead to the worst totalitarian regimes in human history.

• Totalitarianism was previously limited by lack of necessary technology.

• Digital agents make total surveillance regimes feasible without needing human agents.

The Ethics of Surveillance

In this section, the speaker discusses the potential dangers of surveillance and how it can be used for good if regulated properly. He provides three guidelines for directing surveillance in a positive direction.

Guidelines for Positive Surveillance

• Collect information on individuals to help them, not manipulate them.

• Do not allow all information to be concentrated in one place; keep it separate between different organizations.

• Increase bottom-up surveillance simultaneously with top-down surveillance.

Immigration as a Political Stance

In this section, the speaker discusses his opinion on immigration and how it should be viewed as a legitimate political stance rather than a clash between good and evil.

Immigration Policy

• Differentiate between immigrants and war refugees.

• Host countries have the right to decide whether or not they want to receive immigrants and under what conditions.

• It is an ethical question that each person must answer for themselves based on their own beliefs.

• Democratic discussion is necessary to find common ground on immigration policy.

• There is a moral obligation to accept refugees escaping death.

Immigration Debate

In this section, Professor Harari advises against weaponizing the immigration issue and inflaming it for political gain. He suggests making ethical arguments and staying open to the arguments of both sides.

Legitimacy of Positions

• Both positions on immigration are legitimate.

• Those who want to limit immigration are not necessarily fascists or Nazis.

• Those who want to accept more immigrants are not necessarily traitors or enemies of the people.

Factors Involved in Immigration Debate

• The immigration debate is complicated and involves many issues.

• Factors include the carrying capacity of a country, the positions of immigrants, and their willingness to accept the norms, values, and culture of the host country.

Complexity of Immigration Debate

• The immigration debate should remain complicated and not be oversimplified into a forces-of-light-versus-forces-of-darkness situation.

Finding Common Ground

• Professor Harari is praised for finding common ground between opposing views.