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."

2015 AP Calculus AB 5b | AP Calculus AB solved exams | AP Calculus AB | Khan Academy

Hunt And Gather | Life Below Zero

View All

Khan Academy Best Practices for Supporting English Language Learners

Hey everyone, this is Jeremy Schieffling at Khan Academy. I want to wish you a happy Friday after week number five. Can you believe it? Since this all started, I know like the way of doing things in the past feels like the distant past all of a sudden. Bu…

Reasons To Stop Worrying (Break The Habit of Excessive Thinking)

The ability to plan for the future is a cornerstone of our civilization. The human race would never have flourished if we didn’t organize, arrange, design, prepare, and delay gratification for greater causes. Take, for example, this structure: the Kölner…

Path of Stoicism: How to become a Stoic in the Modern World

We’re all pretty used to rain. We’re either prepared for it with an umbrella or raincoat, or just get wet. Rarely does it genuinely upset us. But what about when it rains for days and the streets flood so you can’t go outside? Or when you realize you can’…

Asexual and sexual reproduction | High school biology | Khan Academy

Let’s talk a little bit about reproduction now on Earth, and who knows, if we go to other planets, we might find new ways that organisms can reproduce. But on Earth, there are two primary ways that organisms reproduce. The first is, let’s say this is som…

Neil and Katy Discuss Fingerprints and Individuality | StarTalk

Why are there seven million people? And why do each one of us have our own fingerprint? Even twins have different fingerprints, who are otherwise genetically identical. Why would you rather we were all the same? No, I’m not. Why is that more odd to you th…

Personalized Stories Starring Your Kids: Khanmigo's Craft a Story! | Bedtime stories for kids

Hi parents! Are you looking to put a fresh spin on story time, or maybe you want to make bedtime more fun, engaging, and personalized? I’ve got something you’re going to love! Meet K Migo’s “Craft a Story” feature. Let me show you how it works. First, we…

The Power of Transportation | Origins: The Journey of Humankind

More Articles