21 Lessons for the 21st Century

Ali, Husayn ibn 288

  Alibaba (online retailer) 50

  Allah 104, 128, 130, 204, 271–2, 289

  AlphaZero 31, 123

  al-Qaeda 162, 168

  Amazon (online retailer) 39, 40, 50, 52, 91, 267–8

  Amazon rainforest 116

  Amos, prophet 188

  Amritsar massacre (1919) 10

  Andéol, Emilie 102

  animals xi, 73, 86, 98–9, 182, 190, 218, 245; distinct social behaviours 94–5; ecological collapse and 71, 116, 118–19, 224; farm animals, subjugation of 71, 118–19, 224; morality and 187–8, 200; religious sacrifice of 190

  anti-Semitism 142, 143, 194, 195, 235–6 see also Jews

  Apple (technology company) 91, 178

  Arab Spring xi, 91

  Arjuna (hero of Bhagavadgita) 269–70, 271, 299

  art, AI and 25–8, 55–6, 182

  artificial intelligence (AI) xiii, xiv; art and 25–8, 55–6, 182; authority shift from humans to 43, 44–72, 78, 268; biochemical algorithms and 20, 21, 25–8, 47–8, 56, 59, 251, 299; cars and see cars; centaurs (human-AI teams) 29, 30–1; communism and 35, 38; consciousness and 68–72, 122, 245–6; creativity and 25–8, 32; data ownership and 77–81; dating and 263; decision-making and 36–7, 50–61; democracy and see democracy; digital dictatorships and xii, 43, 61–8, 71, 79–80, 121; discrimination and 59–60, 67–8, 75–6; education and 32, 34, 35, 38 39, 40–1, 259–68; emotional detection/manipulation 25–8, 51–2, 53, 70, 79–80, 265, 267; equality and xi, 8, 9, 13, 41, 71–2, 73–81, 246; ethics and 56–61; free will and 46–9; games and 29, 31–2, 123; globalisation and threat of 38–40; government and xii, 6, 7–9, 34–5, 37–43, 48, 53, 61–8, 71, 77–81, 87, 90, 121, 267, 268; healthcare and 22–3, 24–5, 28, 48–9, 50; intuition and 20–1, 47; liberty and 44–72; manipulation of human beings 7, 25–8, 46, 48, 50–6, 68–72, 78, 79–80, 86, 96, 245–55, 265, 267, 268; nationalism and 120–6; regulation of 6, 22, 34–5, 61, 77–81, 123; science fiction and 245–55, 268; surveillance systems and 63–5; unique non-human abilities of 21–2; war and 61–8, 123–4 see also war; weapons and see weapons; work and 8, 18, 19–43 see also work

  Ashoka, Emperor of India 191–2, 286

  Ashura 288, 289

  Asia 16, 39, 100, 103, 275 see also under individual nation name

  Assyrian Empire 171

  Athenian democracy, ancient 95–6

  attention, technology and human 71, 77–8, 87, 88–91

  Australia 13, 54, 116, 145, 150, 183, 187, 232–3

  Aztecs 182, 289

  Babri Mosque, Ayodhya 291

  Babylonian Empire 188, 189

  Baidu (technology company) 23, 40, 48, 77, 267–8

  Bangladesh 38–9, 273

  bank loans, AI and 67

  behavioural economics 20, 147, 217

  Belgium 103, 165, 172

  Bellaigue, Christopher de 94

  Berko, Anat 233

  bestiality, secular ethics and 205–6

  bewilderment, age of xiii, 17, 215, 257

  Bhagavadgita 269–70, 271, 299

  Bhardwaj, Maharishi 181

  Bible 127, 131–2, 133, 186–90, 198, 199, 200, 206, 233, 234–5, 240, 241, 272, 298

  Big Data xii, 18, 25, 47, 48, 49, 53, 63, 64, 68, 71–2, 268

  biometric sensors 23, 49, 50, 52, 64, 79, 92

  biotechnology xii, xiv, 1, 6, 7, 8, 16, 17, 18, 21, 33–4, 41, 48, 66, 75, 80, 83, 88, 109, 121, 122, 176, 211, 251–2, 267 see also under individual area of biotechnology

  bioterrorism 167, 169

  Bismarck, Otto von 98–9

  bitcoin 6

  Black Death 164

  Blair, Tony 168

  blockchain 6, 8

  blood libel 235–6

  body, human: bioengineered 41, 259, 265; body farms 34; technology and distraction from 88–92

  Bolshevik Revolution (1917) 15, 248

  Bonaparte, Napoleon 96, 178, 231, 284

  Book of Mormon 198, 235, 240

  Book of the Dead, Egyptian 235

  Bouazizi, Mohamed xi

  brain: biochemical algorithms of 20, 21, 47, 48; brain-computer interfaces 92, 260; brainwashing 242–4, 255, 267, 295; decision-making and 50, 52; equality and 75, 79; flexibility and age of 264–5; free will and 250–2, 255; hominid 122; marketing and 267; meditation and 311, 313–14, 316, 317

  Brazil 4, 7, 12, 76, 101, 103, 118, 130

  Brexit referendum (2016) 5, 9, 11, 15, 45–6, 93, 99, 115

  Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 283–4, 302–3

  Britain 5, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 44–5, 94, 99, 108, 115, 139, 143, 150, 165, 172, 178, 182, 232–3, 243

  Brussels bombings (March, 2016) 160

  Buddha/Buddhism 58, 102, 136, 183, 184, 186, 190, 196, 278, 291, 302–6, 315

  Bulgaria 169, 195, 227

  Burma 304–5

  Bush, George W. 4, 168, 176, 178

  Caesar, Julius 96, 179

  California, U.S. 8, 39, 85, 88, 148, 172, 177, 178, 200, 266

  Cambridge Analytica 80, 86

  Cambridge University 12, 45, 194

  Cameron, David 45, 46

  Canaan 189, 190, 289, 291

  Canada 13, 38, 74, 107

  capitalism xii, 11, 16, 35, 38, 55, 68, 76, 77, 96, 105–6, 108, 113, 130, 131, 132, 134, 135, 148, 210, 217, 245, 273, 292, 309

  carbon dioxide 117

  care industry 24–5

  Caro, Rabbi Joseph 195

  cars 133, 135; accidents and 23–4, 54, 56–7, 114, 159, 160; choosing 78; GPS/navigation and 54; self-driving 22, 23–4, 33, 41, 56–7, 58–9, 60–1, 63, 168

  Catalan Independence 124, 125

  Catholics 108, 132, 133, 137, 213, 292, 299

  centaurs (human-AI teams) 29, 30

  Chad 103, 119

  Chaucer, Geoffrey: Canterbury Tales 235–6

  Chemosh 191

  chess 29, 31–2, 123, 180

  Chigaku, Tanaka 305

  child labour 33, 224

  chimpanzees 94–5, 98, 122, 187–8, 200, 242

  China xi, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 64, 76, 100, 104, 105, 106, 107, 109, 113, 114, 115, 118, 119, 120, 121, 135, 145, 150, 151, 159, 168, 169, 171, 172–3, 175, 176, 177–8, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 193, 201, 227–8, 232, 251, 259–60, 262, 274, 284–5

  Chinese Communist Party 5

  Christianity 13, 55, 58, 96, 98, 126, 128–30, 131, 132, 133, 134–5, 137, 142, 143, 148, 183, 184–6, 187, 188, 189–90, 191, 192, 193, 194, 196, 199, 200, 203, 204, 208, 212–13, 233, 234–5, 236, 253, 282, 283, 288, 289, 291, 294, 296, 308; Orthodox 13, 15, 137, 138, 183, 237, 282, 308

  Churchill, Winston 53, 108, 243

  civilisation, single world xi, 5, 92, 95–109, 110, 138; ‘clash of civilisations’ thesis and 93–8; economics

  and 105–6; European civilisation and 95–6, 108–9; human tribes and 98–100; science and 107–8

  ‘clash of civilisations’ 93–4

  climate change x, xi, 15, 75–6, 78, 108, 109, 116–20, 121, 122–3, 124, 127, 128, 130, 133, 138, 168, 195, 219, 223, 228, 244, 265

  Clinton, Bill 4, 168, 176

  Clinton, Hillary 8, 97, 236

  Cnut the Great, King of the Danes 105

  Coca-Cola 50, 238, 267

  Coldia (fictional nation) 148–50, 152–4

  Cold War (1947–91) 99, 100, 113, 114, 131, 176, 180

  communism xii, 3, 5, 10, 11, 14, 33, 35, 38, 74, 87, 95, 131, 132, 134, 176–7, 209–10, 251, 262, 273, 277, 279

  Communities Summit (2017) 85

  community 11, 37, 42, 43, 85–92, 109, 110, 135, 143–4, 201, 230, 241; breakdown of 85–7; Facebook and building of global xiii, 81, 85–91

  compassion 62, 63, 71, 186; Buddhism and 305–6; religion and 186, 200, 201–2, 204, 208–9, 234, 305–6; secular commitment to 200, 201–2, 204–6, 208–9, 210

  Confucius 15, 136, 181, 190, 260, 284–5

  consciousness ix; AI and 36, 68–72, 122; intelligence and 68–70, 245–6; meditation and 315, 316; religion and 197
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  Conservative Party 45

  conservatives: conservation and 219–20; embrace liberal world view 44–5

  conspiracy theories 222, 229

  Constantine the Great, Roman Emperor 192

  Constantius II, Roman Emperor 192

  cooperation 12, 29, 134; fictions and mass 134, 137, 233–42, 245; human-AI 29, 31; morality and 47, 187; nationalism and 134, 137, 236–8; religion and 134, 137, 233–6

  corruption 12, 13, 15, 188–9

  Council of Religion and the Homosexual (CRH) 200

  creativity 25–8, 31, 32, 75, 182, 234, 262, 299

  Crimea 174–5, 177, 179, 231, 238

  Croats 282

  Crusades 96, 165, 184, 199, 212, 213, 296

  cryptocurrency 6

  Cuba 9–10, 11, 114, 176

  Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) 114

  cultures, differences between 147–55

  culturism 150–4

  cyberwarfare 127, 176, 178, 179

  cyborgs 8, 76–7, 212, 278

  Czech Republic 200

  Daisy advertisement: US presidential election (1964) and 113, 114

  Darwin, Charles 194; On the Origin of Species 98–9

  Darwinism 213

  data: Big Data xii, 18, 25, 47, 48, 49, 53, 63, 64, 68, 71–2, 268; liberty and 44–72; ownership regulation 77–81, 86 see also artificial intelligence (AI)

  Davos World Economic Forum 222

  Dawkins, Richard 45

  Deep Blue (IBM’s chess program) 29, 31

  democracies: ‘clash of civilisations’ thesis and 93–8; data processing and 65; equality and 74;

  individual, trust in and 217, 220; liberal democracy see liberal democracy; liberty and 44–6, 53, 55, 64, 65, 66, 67; media manipulation and 12–13; secular ethics and 204, 210

  Denmark 4, 94, 105, 144, 153, 200, 210

  dharma 270, 271, 286, 299, 309

  Di Tzeitung 97

  dictatorships 3, 5, 33, 74, 210, 305; digital xii, 43, 61–8, 71, 79–80, 121

  discrimination: AI and 59–60, 67–8, 75–6; brain and structural bias 226–8; religion and 135, 191, 200, 208; racism/culturism, immigration and 147–55

  disease 16, 22, 28, 49, 88, 107, 218, 289

  disorientation, sense of 5, 6

  DNA 49, 66, 67, 79, 98, 150, 182

  doctors 22–3, 24, 28, 48–9, 106–7, 128–9, 280

  dogmas, faith in 229–30

  dollar, American 106

  Donbas 238

  Donetsk People’s Republic 232

  drones 29, 30, 35, 64, 76

  East Africa 239

  ecological crisis, xi, xiv, 7, 109, 195, 219, 244, 265; climate change x, xi, 15, 75–6, 78, 108, 109, 116–20, 121, 122–3, 124, 127, 128, 130, 133, 138, 168, 195, 219, 223, 228, 244, 265; equality and 75–6; global solution to 115–26, 138, 155; ignorance and 219–20; justice and 223, 228, 244, 265; liberalism and 16; nationalism and 15, 115–26; religion and 127, 128, 130, 133, 138; technological breakthroughs and 118–19, 121, 122–4

  economics xii, 3, 4, 7, 9, 11, 16, 68, 99, 222, 224, 225, 240, 262, 309; AI and 6, 7, 8, 9, 19–43; capitalist see capitalism; communism and see communism; data processing and 65–6; economic models 37, 105–6; equality and 9, 71, 73–7 see also equality; liberalism and 3–5, 16, 44–5; nationalism and 115, 117, 118, 120, 121, 124; religion and 130–3; war and 171–5, 177–8, 179–80; work and 19–43

  education 11, 16, 66, 74, 75, 111, 112, 113, 184, 194, 259–68; AI and 32, 34, 35, 38 39, 40–1, 259–68; basic level of 40–1; future of 259–68; liberal 217, 219, 261; secular 207, 209

  Egypt 63, 74, 128–9, 172, 181, 188–9, 235, 284, 291, 296

  Einstein, Albert 45, 181, 193, 194, 195

  El Salvador 4, 150

  ‘End of History’ 11

  Engels, Friedrich: The Communist Manifesto 262, 273

  England 105, 139, 235–6

  equality xi, 13, 41, 71–2, 73–81, 92, 95, 144, 204, 223; AI and 75–81; history of 73– 4; secularism and 206–7, 208–9

  ethics: AI and 56–61, 63, 121; complex nature of modern world and 223–30;

  nationalism and 121–2; religion and 186–93, 199–202; secular 199–202, 203–14

  Europe xi, xii, 5, 10, 11, 16, 40, 47, 79, 93–100, 103–4, 105, 106, 107, 108–9, 113, 114, 115, 124–5, 128, 135, 136, 138, 139, 140, 143–4, 145, 147, 150, 153, 154–5, 159, 160, 164, 169, 171–2, 175, 176, 186, 187, 193, 201, 207, 228, 236, 252, 294, 307 see also under individual nation name

  European Union xii, 47, 93, 94, 95, 99, 108, 115, 124, 169; Constitution 95, 124;

  crisis in 138; immigration and 138, 139, 143–4, 154–5; Russia and 177; size and wealth of 176; terrorism and 159

  Evangelical Christians 133

  evolution 47, 98–9, 110–11, 127, 187, 194, 205, 206, 217, 218, 223, 274, 276, 277

  Ex Machina (film) 246

  Facebook xiii, 27, 77, 178, 230, 301, 302, 306; community-building and xiii, 85–91, 93; equality and 77, 80; liberty and 55, 64, 65, 67, 80, 86; ownership of personal data 80, 86; post-truth and 233, 235, 238; US presidential election (2016) and 80, 86

  failed states 101, 112, 210

  fair game rules 187

  fake news xi, 231–42

  famine 16, 33, 208, 212, 238, 251, 271

  farming, modern industrial 29, 116, 118, 127, 128, 129, 224, 260, 262 see also agriculture

  fascism xii, 3, 9, 10, 11, 33, 142, 148, 154, 237, 251, 292–5, 297, 305

  feminism 87, 143, 208, 217, 246, 280

  Ferdinand, Archduke Franz 9, 11, 171

  Fernbach, Philip 218

  financial crisis, global (2008) 4, 171

  financial system, computers and complexity of 6

  Finland 38, 74

  First World War (1914–18) 9, 10, 11, 30, 33, 99–100, 112, 123, 124, 160, 170, 171, 172, 265

  Flag Code of India 285–6

  flags, national 103, 285–6

  fMRI scanner 21, 240

  football, power of fictions and 241

  France 10, 13, 51, 63, 66, 76, 94, 96, 99, 102, 103, 104, 115, 122, 139, 144, 145, 164, 165, 172, 182, 184, 194, 204, 285, 295–6

  Francis, Pope 133

  Freddy (chimpanzee) 188

  free-market capitalism xii, 3, 4, 11, 16, 44, 55, 217, 245

  free will 20, 44, 45–6, 47–8, 250–1, 299–301

  French Revolution (1789) 63, 184, 207

  Freud, Sigmund 135, 185, 193, 194–5, 286

  Friedman, Milton 130

  Front National 13

  Galilei, Galileo 193, 207

  gay marriage 44, 198, 205–6

  Gaza 173

  genetically modified (GM) crops 219

  Georgia 176, 177

  Germany 13, 66, 68, 95, 96, 98–9, 108, 118, 139, 147, 148, 155, 169, 171–2, 173, 179, 182, 194, 195, 239, 251, 277; Nazi 10, 66, 96, 134, 136, 212, 213, 226, 237, 251, 279, 294, 295

  Gandhi, Mahatma 132

  globalisation 8, 9, 113, 139; AI/automation and 38–9; history of 99; inequality and 73, 74, 76; nationalism and 109; reversing process of xiii, 5; spread of 4, 99

  global stories, disappearance of 5, 14

  global warming see climate change

  God xi, xiii, 46, 106, 197–202; 245, 252, 254, 269, 281, 285, 287, 303, 304; Bible and see Bible; ethics and 199–202, 205, 206, 208, 209; existence of 197–9; Jewish and Christian ideas of 184–5, 189, 190; justice and 225; mass cooperation and 245; monotheism and 190–3; post-truth and 234–6, 239; sacrifice and 287, 289; state identity and 138

  gods xii, 277, 281, 291; agriculture and 128, 129; humans becoming ix, 79, 86; justice and 188, 189; sacrifice and 287–9; state identity and 136, 137

  Goebbels, Joseph 237

  Goenka, S. N. 310, 315–16

  Good Samaritan parable 57

  Google 31, 36, 39, 40, 41, 48, 53–4, 68, 77, 78, 90, 91, 178, 282; Glass 92; Maps 54, 55; Translate 262

  gorilla 94–5, 98

  Gove, Michael 46

  Great Barrier Reef, Aust
ralian 116

  Great Depression 251

  Great Ukrainian Famine (1932–3) 33, 238

  Greece 13, 154–5, 181; ancient 52, 95–6, 177, 181, 182, 291

  greenhouse gases 117, 119

  groupthink 218–20, 230

  Guardian 306

  Guevara, Che 9–10, 11, 133

  Gulf War, First (1990–91) 172, 174

  Haber, Fritz 194, 195

  Haiti 150

  Hamas 173

  HaMevaser 97

  Hammurabi 188

  Hamodia 97

  happiness xiv, 41–2, 201, 202, 211, 245, 251, 252, 273, 309

  Harry Potter 234

  Hastings, Battle of (1066) 178–9

  Hayek, Friedrich 130, 131

  healthcare 11, 16, 40, 112; AI and 22–3, 24–5, 28, 48–9, 50, 106–7; basic level of 41; religion and 128, 129

  Hebrew Old Testament 184–96

  Hillel the Elder, Rabbi 190

  Hinduism 105, 108, 127, 129, 131, 133, 134, 181, 186, 191, 200, 203, 208, 235, 269– 70, 278, 283–4, 285, 291

  Hirohito, Emperor of Japan 235

  Hiroshima, atomic bombing of (1945) 112, 115, 178

  Hitler, Adolf 9, 11, 66–7, 96, 108, 178, 211, 231, 237, 295

  Holocaust 184, 236, 248, 272, 293

  Holocene 116

  hominids 110, 122

  Homo Sapiens: communities, size of 90, 110, 111; disappearance of 122; emergence of 185; emotions and decision-making 58; as post-truth species 233, 238–9, 242; religion and 185, 188, 198; as storytelling animal 269, 275; superhumans and 41, 75, 246; working together in groups 218

  homosexuality 50, 61, 135, 200, 205–6, 300

  Hsinbyushin, King of Burma 305

  Hugh of Lincoln 235–6

  human rights xii, 4, 11, 15, 44, 93, 95, 96, 101, 211–12, 306

  human sacrifice 289

  humility 180, 181–96; ethics before the Bible and 186–90; Jews/Judaism and 182–96; monotheism and 190–3; religion and 181–96; science and 193–5

  Hungary 169

  hunter-gatherers 73, 100, 108, 111, 147, 187, 218, 224, 226, 230

  Hussein, Saddam 180

  Huxley, Aldous: Brave New World 251–5

  IBM 23, 29, 30–1

  identity, mass: religion and 133–7

  ignorance 217–22; individuality and 218, 219–20; knowledge illusion, the 218–19; power and 220–2; rationality and 217–18

  illness 48–9, 69, 129, 134

  immigration xi, 4, 16, 93–4, 108, 115, 138, 139–55

  imperialism 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 63, 79, 106, 136, 145, 178, 191–2, 212

  Inca 289

  incest, secular ethics and 205, 206

  India 4, 10, 15, 39, 74, 76, 100, 106, 109, 113, 115, 127, 131, 181, 182, 183, 184, 191, 192, 193, 260, 266, 285–6, 310, 315