Last Minute Lecture

The Tree of Knowledge — The Cognitive Revolution, Myth-Making, and Human Cooperation Explained | Chapter 2 from Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari How did Homo sapiens leap from simple communication to building cities, empires, and global belief systems? In Chapter 2 of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind , Yuval Noah Harari explores the Cognitive Revolution and the emergence of the “Tree of Knowledge” — the genetic and cultural turning point that allowed our species to imagine, cooperate, and dominate the planet. Watch the full summary video below and subscribe to Last Minute Lecture for more insightful chapter breakdowns! Summary of Chapter 2: The Tree of Knowledge About 70,000 years ago, a revolutionary transformation in Homo sapiens’ brains — what Harari calls the Tree of Knowledge mutation — gave rise to new ways of thinking, communicating, and imagining. This Cognitive Revolution set our species apart from all other animals, enabling the creation of shared myths, reli...

An Animal of No Significance — Human Evolution and the Cognitive Revolution Explained | Chapter 1 from Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari How did Homo sapiens evolve from an unremarkable species to the dominant force on Earth? In Chapter 1 of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind , Yuval Noah Harari explores the humble beginnings of our species, the extinction of our human relatives, and the revolutionary power of language and culture. Watch the video summary below and subscribe to Last Minute Lecture for more expert academic breakdowns! Summary of Chapter 1: An Animal of No Significance Harari opens Sapiens by placing Homo sapiens in the context of deep time and evolutionary history. Around 2.5 million years ago, our ancestors emerged in East Africa, living alongside other human species such as Neanderthals and Denisovans. Sapiens remained a middle-tier species for much of prehistory, biologically no more exceptional than other animals. Key Themes and Insights Multiple ...

The Origins and Evolution of Cognitive Psychology — Chapter 1 Summary from Cognitive Psychology Cognitive psychology, the scientific study of how we think, perceive, remember, and learn, has a rich and complex history rooted in both philosophical inquiry and scientific experimentation. In this chapter summary from Last Minute Lecture , we trace the foundational developments that shaped the field, including the contributions of early pioneers, the rise of behaviorism, and the transformative impact of the cognitive revolution. This summary is based on Chapter 1 from the textbook Cognitive Psychology . Watch the full chapter breakdown above or continue reading to explore how cognitive psychology developed from early introspective methods to the computational models that dominate the field today. Philosophical and Scientific Roots The origins of cognitive psychology can be traced back to philosophical questions about the mind and knowledge. Thinkers like Plato and Descartes rais...