The Last Human – A Glimpse Into The Far Future

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
28 Jun 202212:31
EducationalLearning
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TLDRThis script explores humanity's future, challenging the pessimistic view of our imminent end. It delves into population growth, historical milestones, and the potential for human survival and expansion beyond Earth. The narrative suggests that if we avoid self-destruction, the majority of humans who will ever exist may live in the future, emphasizing our responsibility to shape a world for countless generations to come.

Takeaways
  • 🌍 The human species has a history of perceiving their times as the end times, which leads to short-term thinking and hinders long-term planning.
  • 📊 Modern humans have been around for about 200,000 years, and the population has grown exponentially, especially since the agricultural and industrial revolutions.
  • 🚀 The current human population is around 8 billion, and approximately 7% of all humans who have ever lived are alive today.
  • 🔮 Uncertainties about the future of humanity include the potential for self-destruction through inventions and the ability to avert catastrophic risks.
  • 🌳 If humanity survives, the Earth could support a population of 100 trillion humans over the next million years, assuming a stable birth rate.
  • 🌌 The potential for human survival extends far beyond Earth, with the possibility of expanding to other planets and artificial worlds, significantly increasing the number of potential lives.
  • 🌞 Earth's habitability is estimated to last about 500 million more years, offering ample time for human evolution and expansion.
  • 🛰️ A civilization spanning the solar system could support an even greater number of individuals, possibly extending humanity's existence into the billions of years.
  • 💡 The future of humanity could be bright, with the potential for quadrillions of people contributing to progress in various fields such as medicine, problem-solving, and entertainment.
  • 🌌 If humanity expands beyond the solar system, the potential number of lives increases exponentially, reaching into the octillion range or more.
  • 🛡️ Spreading out into the cosmos could make humanity more resilient to extinction, with the potential for survival over billions of years.
  • 🔬 The distant future is crucial for the existence of countless unborn humans, emphasizing the importance of our present actions and their impact on generations to come.
Q & A

  • What is the general sentiment expressed about humanity's future in the script?

    -The script expresses a mix of pessimism and optimism about humanity's future. It acknowledges current challenges such as climate change and political division but also highlights humanity's potential for innovation and survival.

  • Why does the script suggest that short-term thinking is a problem?

    -Short-term thinking is a problem because it prevents us from creating the best world for ourselves and our descendants. It focuses on immediate concerns rather than long-term planning and sustainability.

  • What is the estimated number of humans that have lived over the last two hundred thousand years?

    -The script estimates that over the last two hundred thousand years, about 117 billion humans were born and lived, with 109 billion also having died.

  • What is the significance of the agricultural and industrial revolutions in terms of population growth?

    -The agricultural revolution marked a significant increase in population growth, taking ten thousand years to reach 300 million. The industrial revolution further accelerated this growth, with the human population doubling in just 120 years and then again in fifty, reaching around 8 billion today.

  • How does the script describe the current state of human health and living standards?

    -The script describes the current state of human health and living standards as better than ever before, with people being healthier, wealthier, and living longer than at any previous time in history.

  • What is the United Nations' estimate for the peak human population in the year 2100?

    -The United Nations estimates that around the year 2100, the human population will hit its peak, with 11.25 billion people born each year.

  • What are the uncertainties mentioned in the script regarding the future of humanity?

    -The uncertainties mentioned include the potential for self-destruction through inventions like nuclear weapons and the spread of diseases, as well as the ability to find solutions to avert catastrophic risks, such as changing the direction of planet-killing asteroids.

  • What is the average lifespan of mammalian species according to the script?

    -According to the script, the average lifespan of mammalian species is in the region of 1 million years, with some surviving up to 10 million years.

  • How does the script envision humanity's future if we never leave Earth?

    -If humanity never leaves Earth, the script suggests that we could survive for a million years, with a stable birth rate of 125 million people each year, leading to the birth of roughly 100 trillion humans.

  • What are the potential benefits of humanity expanding beyond Earth, as mentioned in the script?

    -The potential benefits include the ability to construct artificial worlds and habitats, the opportunity to try out different types of societies and ways of life, and the increased likelihood of survival due to the difficulty of a solar system-wide catastrophe.

  • What is the estimated number of potential lives if humanity were to colonize the Milky Way and live for 10 billion years?

    -If humanity were to colonize 100 billion stars and live there for 10 billion years, generating 100 million births per year, the script estimates around a hundred octillion lives to be lived in the future.

  • What is the conclusion of the script regarding humanity's future?

    -The conclusion is that if humanity doesn't destroy itself in the next few centuries or millennia, almost all humans that will ever exist will live in the future. It emphasizes the importance of our actions today for the countless numbers of others who will exist in the future.

  • What is the significance of Kurzgesagt's expansion into six more languages?

    -The expansion into six more languages is significant as it aims to bring new perspectives and a love for science to as many people as possible, especially to languages that are underserved due to the lack of profitability in translation.

  • How does the script suggest we can help Kurzgesagt's multi-language expansion?

    -The script suggests that we can help by spreading the word, sharing their videos on social media, and informing friends and family in the newly supported languages about the availability of Kurzgesagt's content in their native languages.

Outlines
00:00
🌏 The Fragility and Potential of Humanity

The script begins by reflecting on the precarious future of humanity, citing rapid climate change, political division, and human greed as factors contributing to a pessimistic outlook. It challenges the notion that each generation believes they are witnessing the end times, suggesting that this mindset leads to short-term thinking. The script then shifts to a broader historical perspective, examining the growth of the human population from the emergence of modern humans 200,000 years ago to the present day. It highlights the agricultural and industrial revolutions as pivotal moments that significantly increased our numbers. The current population of around 8 billion is contrasted with the total of 117 billion humans who have ever lived, emphasizing that 7% of all humans are alive today. The script concludes this section by speculating on the future population, suggesting that if humanity survives potential self-destruction, the number of future humans could be immense.

05:05
🚀 Envisioning Humanity's Expansion and Survival

This paragraph delves into hypothetical scenarios for humanity's future, considering the potential for human survival and expansion both on Earth and beyond. It presents three scenarios: one where humans never leave Earth, estimating a conservative 100 trillion humans could be born over a million-year timeline; another where humans colonize other planets or create artificial habitats, which could support an even greater number of individuals; and a third where humanity expands beyond the solar system, potentially leading to a hundred octillion lives. The script emphasizes the importance of our current actions, as they will determine the existence of countless future generations. It also touches on the idea that humanity's survival could be ensured for billions of years if we avoid extinction and continue to evolve or engineer our species.

10:10
🌱 The Importance of Present Actions for Future Generations

The final paragraph shifts focus to the present, highlighting the significance of our current decisions for the existence of future generations. It encourages a shift in perspective from viewing ourselves as living at the end of humanity's story to recognizing that we are at the beginning of a much larger narrative. The script calls for action to build a world not only for ourselves but for the vast numbers of people yet to be born. It concludes with an announcement about the expansion of the Kurzgesagt channel into six new languages, aiming to bring science and new perspectives to a wider audience. The need for support in spreading the word about this initiative is emphasized, with a special thanks to Open Philanthropy for their support in spreading awareness of science and ideas for human thriving.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Climate Change
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, primarily caused by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. In the video, it is mentioned as one of the factors contributing to the insecurity of humanity's future, highlighting the urgency of addressing environmental issues for the well-being of future generations.
💡Political Division
Political division denotes the state of being separated or having contrasting views within a political context, often leading to conflict and a lack of consensus on important issues. The script discusses this as a challenge for humanity, suggesting that such divisions can impede collective action on global problems like climate change.
💡Greed
Greed is an excessive or insatiable desire for wealth or gain. In the video, it is cited as one of the human failings that contribute to short-term thinking and hinder the creation of a sustainable and equitable world for future generations.
💡Agricultural Revolution
The Agricultural Revolution refers to the wide-scale transition of human societies from hunting and gathering to agriculture and settlement, allowing for a significant increase in population and the development of more complex societies. The script mentions it as a pivotal moment in human history that led to a substantial growth in the human population.
💡Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution describes the period during which predominantly agrarian, rural societies in Europe became industrial and urban. It marked a shift from manual labor to machines, increasing production capacity and significantly boosting the human population growth. The video script uses this term to illustrate the rapid population increase in the 19th century.
💡Population Peak
Population peak refers to the point in time when the growth of a population reaches its maximum and then begins to decline. The UN's estimate mentioned in the script suggests that the global human population will reach its peak around the year 2100, implying a stabilization or potential decrease in birth rates.
💡Catastrophic Risk
Catastrophic risk is a term used to describe events or developments that could cause widespread harm, potentially leading to the extinction of a species or the collapse of civilization. The video discusses the potential for humanity to both create and avert such risks, emphasizing the importance of responsible innovation and foresight.
💡Extinction Rate
The extinction rate is the rate at which species become extinct. The script uses the average extinction rate of mammalian species, derived from the fossil record, to estimate the potential lifespan of the human species if it remains on Earth.
💡Genetic Engineering
Genetic engineering is the direct manipulation of an organism's genes using biotechnology. The video suggests that in the distant future, humanity might use genetic engineering to evolve into multiple species or maintain our current genetic makeup, reflecting on the potential long-term impacts of technological advancements on human evolution.
💡Interconnected Civilization
An interconnected civilization refers to a society where different communities, cultures, or planets are linked through communication and cooperation. The script posits that a civilization spanning the solar system could support an enormous number of individuals, indicating a future where humanity's potential is expanded through collaboration and shared resources.
💡Unborn Humans
Unborn humans are future individuals who have not yet been conceived. The video emphasizes the importance of considering the impact of current actions on these potential lives, arguing that our decisions today can either enable or prevent the existence of countless future generations.
Highlights

The future of humanity is often viewed with pessimism due to rapid climate change, political division, and other issues.

Humans have historically perceived their times as the end times, leading to short-term thinking.

Modern humans have been around for 200,000 years, developing unique skills such as tool-making and abstract thinking.

The agricultural and industrial revolutions marked significant population growth, leading to today's 8 billion people.

Approximately 7% of all humans that ever lived are currently alive, indicating a critical point in human history.

The UN predicts a peak in human population around the year 2100 with 125 million births per year.

The potential for humanity's survival is uncertain, with both the ability to destroy and innovate.

If humanity survives, there could be up to 100 trillion humans born in the next million years.

The potential lifespan of humanity could extend to the sun's habitability of Earth, estimated at 500 million years.

If humans leave Earth, the possibilities for expansion and survival increase significantly.

An interconnected civilization spanning the solar system could support an enormous number of individuals.

Leaving Earth and spreading out could make humanity safer from extinction.

The potential for humanity to colonize other star systems in the Milky Way is immense.

The total potential number of lives in the future could reach a hundred Octillion, according to one scenario.

The Andromeda Galaxy merger with the Milky Way could provide additional opportunities for human settlement.

A sufficiently advanced civilization might reach energy sources around black holes, expanding potential human life.

The importance of thinking about humanity's long-term future and the impact of current actions on unborn generations.

Kurzgesagt is launching in six additional languages to bring science to a wider audience.

The multi-language expansion is supported by Open Philanthropy, aiming to spread awareness of science.

Transcripts

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Human FutureClimate ChangePolitical DivisionPopulation GrowthAgricultural RevolutionIndustrial RevolutionGlobal HealthLongevityTechnological AdvancementSpecies SurvivalInterstellar ColonizationExistential RiskGenetic EngineeringEvolutionary FutureCultural ExpansionLanguage OutreachGlobal Awareness