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
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
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
Grea
t Barrier Reef, Australian 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