Words Are the Most Powerful Drug | Origins: The Journey of Humankind

less than 1m read

·Nov 11, 2024

Humans stand alone in the animal kingdom. Our power over nature is unparalleled. What separates us? What is it that makes us human? The answer lies in our mastery of communication: the power to express complex thoughts and ideas; to organize and think collectively. These are the engines of our success, driving our ascent from hunter-gatherers to a global civilization.

Communication is everywhere. Our technology has propelled us to a new age of interconnectedness. Waves of data pass through us at the speed of light. Music, language, art, the written word—through these tools, the boundless human imagination has been given a voice. They give us self-expression and collective knowledge.

But they have a dark side. These tools are so powerful that they distort our very perception of reality. They can subvert and corrupt, and even manipulate entire populations. Communication is what makes us, us. How did it emerge? How did it transform us into a creature that could dream, into a creature that could imagine, where millions could eventually learn to cooperate, to overcome, to transcend?

This is the story of how our world came to be; how communication defined our species and created the modern age. How it connected humanity and sent our voice on a course for the stars. This is Origins.

The Priceless Benefits of Not Belonging

Renovation Day 27: IT'S ALMOST DONE!!

View All

How to learn Japanese in the easiest ways - Japanese learning tips from a native polyglot 🇯🇵

How can I learn Japanese? Where should I start? Should I learn Hiragana, Katakana, kanji first? How to pronounce Japanese words? Why is Japanese so complicated? I don’t know anything about kanji. Those are the most common things that I hear about learning…

Exclusive: A Conversation with Alex Honnold and Co-Directors of “Free Solo” | National Geographic

I definitely have a fear of death, same as anybody else, and I would very much like to not die while climbing. You know, I was this huge, huge wall. But all it takes is one move that doesn’t feel right for you not to be able to do it. Maybe in 2015, I st…

Marvels of an Arctic Winter | America's National Parks

As the months of winter pass, only the heartiest of creatures will be able to survive out in the open, seemingly resigned to their fate. But under the tundra, some creatures are pulling off a small biological miracle. The hibernating ground squirrel’s bod…

Remainder theorem examples | Polynomial Division | Algebra 2 | Khan Academy

So we have the graph here of y is equal to p of x. I could write it like this: y is equal to p of x. And they say, what is the remainder when p of x is divided by x plus three? So pause this video and see if you can have a go at this. And they tell us you…

The Most Dangerous Stuff in the Universe - Strange Stars Explained

Neutron stars are the densest things that are not black holes. In their cores, we might find the most dangerous substance in existence: Strange matter. A bizarre thing so extreme, that it bends the rules of the universe and could infect and destroy everyt…

The 5 Step Process for Getting What You Want From Life

Like I say, you can have practically anything you want in life, but you can’t have everything you want in life. So that means you have to prioritize what are the things you’re going after. That has to do with the earlier part of, you know, know what you’r…

Words Are the Most Powerful Drug | Origins: The Journey of Humankind

More Articles