913 Quotes by Yuval Noah Harari

Whenever politicians start talking in mystical terms, beware. They might be trying to disguise and excuse real suffering by wrapping it up in big, incomprehensible words.

If this generation lacks a comprehensive view of the cosmos, the future of life will be decided at random.

A common enemy is the best catalyst for forging a common identity, and humankind now has at least three such enemies – nuclear war, climate change, and technological disruption.

Homo sapiens is a post-truth species, whose power depends on creating and believing fictions.

In the twenty-first century censorship works by flooding people with irrelevant information. We just don’t know what to pay attention to, and often spend our time investigating and debating side issues. In ancient times having power meant having access to data. Today having power means knowing what to ignore.

Obesity is a double victory for consumerism. Instead of eating little, which will lead to economic contraction, people eat too much and then buy diet products – contributing to economic growth twice over.

To study history means to watch the spinning and unravelling of these webs, and to realise that what seems to people in one age the most important thing in life becomes utterly meaningless to their descendants.

Two particularly important nonhuman abilities that AI possesses are connectivity and updatability.

In order to enter the art market and displace many human composers and performers, algorithms won’t have to begin by straightaway surpassing Tchaikovsky. It will be enough if they outperform Britney Spears.