Yuval Noah Harari (born February 24, 1976) (Hebrew: יובל נח הררי) is an Israeli historian and professor in the Department of History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the author of *Sapiens: A Short History of Humankind* and *21 Lessons for the 21st Century* (2018). His writings explore important topics such as free will, consciousness, and intelligence.

Harari’s early writings address what he calls the “cognitive revolution” that occurred approximately 50,000 years ago, when Homo sapiens surpassed Neanderthals by developing language skills and social structures. This allowed them to rise to the top of the predator-prey hierarchy, capitalizing on the “agricultural revolution,” which, in turn, later adopted the scientific method and enabled humans to achieve near-total control over their environment.

His later writings are more cautious, dealing with biotechnological findings that will create a world where artificial intelligence surpasses its biological creator, as he said, “Homo sapiens as we know it will disappear in a century or so.”