The Coronavirus Effect

How humans stopped relying on evolution and became the controllers of their own destiny.

In this episode of 'How to Change the World,' Sam Webster Harris discusses the profound impact of fire on the evolution and societal development of humanity. From transforming our bodies and brains to influencing gender roles and social structures, fire has fundamentally reshaped our way of life. Harris delves into the historical, biological, and cultural significance of fire, exploring how it has served as a tool for cooking, safety, and community building. Tune in to discover how fire drove early human innovations and set the stage for future technological advancements.

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If you enjoy the episode and want more, Sam has launched his new show - "How to Change the World: The History of Innovation".

Chronologically studying every world-changing event in order and how they build upon themselves up to today.

Available on all podcast players:
SPOTIFY - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
APPLE - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
YOUTUBE - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Can't find it on your player?
RSS feed - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find out more - www.changetheworldpod.com

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As we peer into the future, sometimes the best strategy is to look back into the past. The further and deeper we look, the more comprehensive our understanding of how technology and invention can shape the future.

The world's greatest minds didn't just innovate by accident. They studied the great thinkers before them and built upon their work. If you want to achieve greatness or understand what's going on around us, this podcast is your guide.

Chapters
00:00Introduction: Who is in control
03:51 The Role of Fire in Civilization
04:31 Fire's Impact on Predators and Prey
06:36 First Fire - 500 million years ago
10:00 Humans and fire - ~2 million years ago
12:12 The Discovery of Fire
13:44 When did we discover Fire
14:25 Stadium of Grandmothers
15:28 Fire's Influence on Human Biology
17:59 Fire and Human Digestion
20:18 Light and Campfires
22:27 Mealtimes
23:35 Fire's Role in Human Birth and Survival
25:26 Why Only Humans Mastered Fire
27:57 Fire, Social Structures & Gender Roles
29:00 Wrap up and subscribe to How to Change the World
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Brexit more important than Bitcoin? How do we rank Buddhism vs TikTok?

The world changes, technology advances, but what really matters and how much? Sam explains the Innovation Richter Scale, a framework for understanding impact at every level of technology and what it means to society.

---

If you enjoy the episode and want more, Sam has launched his new show - "How to Change the World: The History of Innovation".

Chronologically studying every world-changing event in order and how they build upon themselves up to today.

Available on all podcast players:
SPOTIFY - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
APPLE - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
YOUTUBE - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Can't find it on your player?
RSS feed - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find out more - www.changetheworldpod.com

-------

As we peer into the future, sometimes the best strategy is to look back into the past. The further and deeper we look, the more comprehensive our understanding of how technology and invention can shape the future.

The world's greatest minds didn't just innovate by accident. They studied the great thinkers before them and built upon their work. If you want to achieve greatness or understand what's going on around us, this podcast is your guide.

Chapters
00:00 Innovation Richter Scale
01:47 Why create a Scale?
04:32 Earthquake Metaphor
06:54 Invention, Innovation, Technology
06:54 Ranking Magnitude not Morality
08:01 The Innovation Richter Scale - Level 1 - 10
08:04 Level 1 - Shower thoughts
08:23 Level 2 - Actioned Idea (In private)
08:42 Level 3 - Public ideas (Not popular)
10:10 Level 4 - Popular and commercial ideas
11:01 Level 5 - Defining Brand
12:31 Level 6 - Innovation of the year
15:53 Level 7 - Innovation of the Decade
18:12 Level 8 - Innovation of the Century
21:22 Level 9 - Innovation of the Era
23:46 Level 10 - Species Epoch
28:24 Wrap up + Where to find part 2!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Timeless lessons from the Stone Age and how to build innovation into our systems and solve global problems.

For 97% of human history, we barely had any technology. Innovation moved at a snail's pace because of 5 invisible forces shaping our world. Learn about how these forces still exist and what really drives world change

---

If you enjoy the episode and want more, Sam has launched his new show - "How to Change the World: The History of Innovation".

Chronologically studying every world-changing event in order and how they build upon themselves up to today.

Available on all podcast players:
SPOTIFY - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
APPLE - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
YOUTUBE - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Can't find it on your player?
RSS feed - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find out more - www.changetheworldpod.com

-------

As we peer into the future, sometimes the best strategy is to look back into the past. The further and deeper we look, the more comprehensive our understanding of how technology and invention can shape the future.

The world's greatest minds didn't just innovate by accident. They studied the great thinkers before them and built upon their work. If you want to achieve greatness or understand whats going on around us this podcast is your guide.

Chapters
00:00 Coronavirus Effect - HTCW - 002 - 2 of 5 locks
01:52 The Hand Axe Conundrum
03:45 Episode Goals
05:01 #1 - SURVIVAL
05:40 Energy requirements
07:49 Time Scarcity
10:18 Risk and Psychological Safety
12:37 #2 - CULTURE
13:57 Culture in New Guinea
14:56 Results of trying ideas
16:41 The Grandmother Hypothesis
17:37 Widowhood statistics
19:02 Kaulong Tribe Widow killing
20:43 Catalhayuk - 1000 years of stasis
21:53 Wrap up and where to find the show
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we peer into the future, sometimes the best strategy is to look back into the past. The further and deeper we look, the more comprehensive our understanding of how technology and invention can shape the future.

---

If you enjoy the episode and want more, Sam has launched his new show - "How to Change the World: The History of Innovation".

Chronologically studying every world-changing event in order and how they build upon themselves up to today.

Available on all podcast players:
SPOTIFY - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
APPLE - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
YOUTUBE - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Can't find it on your player?
RSS feed - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find out more - www.changetheworldpod.com

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This episode covers the premise of the show. How it will work, why you should listen, and some timeless lessons on psychology and innovation.

The world's greatest minds didn't just innovate by accident. They studied the great thinkers before them and built upon their work. If you want to achieve greatness or understand whats going on around us this podcast is your guide.

Chapters
00:00 Coronavirus effect - HTCW 001 - Promo
01:09 Introduction: The Dawn of Human Influence
03:31 A Journey Through Time: 10 years ago
03:52 A Century Back: The 1920s
04:19 A Millennium Ago: Medieval Times
04:40 10,000 Years Ago: The Agricultural Revolution
05:08 100,000 Years Ago: Early Human Innovation
05:21 A Million Years Ago: The First Pioneers
06:03 The Epic of Human Potential
06:20 The Plan for the Podcast
08:17 What counts as an innovation
09:40 Release Schedule
10:50 Beyond a history podcast
12:03 Why this point in history
13:43 A map is not a blueprint
15:34 Why am I doing this?
18:44 Why should you listen?
19:54 Psychology and Innovation
20:25 Bias and Hindsight
21:02 Illusion of obviousness
21:59 The Myth of Stability
23:07 Mission and sign off
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam is launching a new show - How to Change the World: The History of Innovation

Starting from the dawn of civilization. Each series will cover an era of humanity and each episode will cover an individual innovation and / or innovator telling their story and impact on society.

In between episodes, we will have a shorter masterclass episode on an individual topic, mental model, or idea relating to the grand goal of changing the world.

First season is out now:
Spotify - ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT⁠⁠
Apple - ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649⁠⁠
YouTube - ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast⁠⁠

Can't find it on your player?
This is the RSS feed - ⁠⁠https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8⁠

Find out more - www.changetheworldpod.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.