The Power of Transportation | Origins: The Journey of Humankind

less than 1m read

·Nov 11, 2024

[music playing] [motor revving]

JASON SILVA: What does it take to power a global civilization to connect billions of people across continents? It takes the power of transportation. From the beginning, speed and strength were paramount in the hunt, on the battlefield, for holding together far-flung empires. We sought new forms of power, harnessing the forces of nature to drive us forward—the horse, the wheel, steam power, jet engine. Every new innovation powered our next great leap.

Transportation has become our exoskeleton allowing us to transcend our biology. [music playing] Faster than sound, farther than the moon, our inventions give us a level of power we never imagined. With our machines we carved through solid rock, tunneled beneath the sea floor, connecting the world, mixing distant cultures. Freedom of movement has given us freedom of mind.

The flow of people and materials exposes us to new ideas and new understanding. This is the story of how transportation turned society inside out, how engines and animals powered the rise of civilization, and how the innovations that drive humanity forward made us modern. This is "Origins."

Innovation Requires Decentralization and a Frontier

Safari Live - Day 15 | National Geographic

View All

AIDS 101 | National Geographic

(Dramatic music) - [Narrator] About 37 million people around the world are currently living with AIDS, making the disease one of the worst pandemics in modern history. AIDS, or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, is a disease in which the human immune sys…

How To Price For B2B | Startup School

[Music] Hi there, my name is Tom, and I’m a partner here at Y Combinator. Today, I’m going to be talking about one of the most common questions I get from founders, which is how to price. So, the founder’s been working on outbound sales, contacting peop…

I FOUND THE 5 WORST CREDIT CARDS EVER...(AVOID THESE!)

[Music] What’s up you guys, it’s Graham here! So buckle your seatbelts, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you’re sitting down for this one. You know, on this channel we’ve talked about the best credit cards to get free stuff, the best credit cards for free tra…

Could Sport Fishing Cause Shark Attacks? | When Sharks Attack: Tropical Terror

If tiger sharks are showing up in the shallows in greater numbers, then it’s not because of deep blue. The reason for the attacks remains elusive, but while scouring the ocean for an explanation, experts come across something else that also ensnares large…

Acorn Thieves | America's National Parks

This Pine is the Central Bank and Trust of the acorn woodpecker, and every inch is studded with neatly arranged holes—the woodpecker’s safe deposit boxes. Finding the absolutely perfect little vault for every acorn can be quite the puzzle. Each hole has b…

How the algorithm controls your life

One thing that I’m really starting to notice is that it’s becoming extremely difficult not to spend all of our time on social media, on the internet, and all of that during these times of isolation. As if it wasn’t already a huge problem. And it kind of m…

The Power of Transportation | Origins: The Journey of Humankind

More Articles