Steven Pinker: A brief history of violence

http://www.ted.com Steven Pinker charts the decline of violence from Biblical times to the present, and argues that, though it may seem illogical and even obscene, given Iraq and Darfur, we are living in the most peaceful time in our species' existence.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers are invited to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes -- including speakers such as Jill Bolte Taylor, Sir Ken Robinson, Hans Rosling, Al Gore and Arthur Benjamin. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, politics and the arts. Watch the Top 10 TEDTalks on TED.com, at
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

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[Reelin111]

@interstellarwonder did you watch the video?

[SethWreckLollis]

@dxvxvx At that point, he was using the Bible as a historical document to show the violence of the tribes that created it. Their religion and their reasons to go to war are irrelevant, the point was that war was waged, and the horridness of those wars in the eyes of today's humans.

[Qteri1]

@Qteri1 You're suggesting that the validity of a statement is rendered solely based on an individuals degree. That's moronic. In the case of cultural understanding, heritage and developmental factors, a degree isn't necessary to gather and/or obtain knowledge on any one or all of those subjects.

[interstellarwonder]

@interstellarwonder don't know why you reposted an old comment

[interstellarwonder]

@interstellarwonder Yapping bullshit about

[interstellarwonder]

@Qteri1 the point i made about ppl being violent ...always ,the opposite of what the speaker is tapping bullshit about. you not only read what someone else commented you actually read someone else's response! driving school does help, if you don't understand that i suggest getting some adult-ed.

[Qteri1]

@interstellarwonder What point? I didn't bother to read your argument with that other user. You made a reply to him stating the following: "unless your a proffessor on the subject of native issues ,i suggest you keep your opinions to yourself." That argument is not only fallacious but self defeating. Does one have to burn his eyes out with a blowtorch to know that it will hurt? No. Does one have to go through driving school to learn how to drive? No.

[interstellarwonder]

@Qteri1 you just made my point, so my argument stands. so SYFM!

[Qteri1]

@interstellarwonder If you can't differentiate between YOUR and YOU'RE... YOU should shut YOUR fucking mouth.

[brennj12]

If you don't believe it, do your own research and post it as a video response. It's easy as that. He did his research. Now do yours.

[Josephjoel3]

Statistics can be used in both way for positive and negative. We are not living in a peaceful time, and people are not peaceful. People get into arguments everyday, fights happen, car wrecks, depressions, suicide, crime, jail, confusion. There is no placidity that anyone possesses. The reason why mankind is not yet extinct is ironically because of the terror of mutually assured destructed at the hands of our own inventions. That's the only thing keeping us alive not love and not understanding.