This course explores the history of Homo sapiens as our species emerged from the Middle Ages and embarked on the age of science, exploration, and conquest of the New World (about 1500). We end up with sapiens in the world of AI and biotech. We consider: Where have sapiens been? Where are we going? What is our place in the cosmic setting? This course is a continuation of the course in the fall, which brought the story through the hunter-gatherer period and the invention of agriculture, but attendance at the earlier course is not a prerequisite. The course is conceived as a deep dive into history involving archaeology, economics, astrophysics, and philosophy. To make the subject manageable, there will be a template, “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind,” by the Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari. To help us along, we will hear directly from noted scholars, scientists, and thinkers. The predominant mode of presentation in this lecture course will be PowerPoint and videos.
NOTE: Students should have a copy of Harari’s book, as critical weekly readings will be assigned.