Answer: The Cognitive Revolution
The Cognitive Revolution, which occurred about 70,000 years ago, is perhaps the most important turning point in the history of Homo sapiens. Before this, our species was just one of many human species, living in small, scattered groups, surviving by foraging for food, and using relatively simple tools. We were not particularly special. But then, something extraordinary happened—a sudden and dramatic shift in our cognitive abilities.
The Cognitive Revolution refers to the moment when Homo sapiens developed the capacity for complex language and abstract thought. Unlike other animals, and even other human species like Neanderthals, Sapiens gained the ability to communicate about things that don’t exist in the physical world—things like myths, gods, laws, and money. This new cognitive flexibility allowed humans to cooperate in large groups, which is essential for building societies, organizing complex tasks, and sharing innovations.
Before this revolution, human cooperation was limited to small, tightly knit groups, much like chimpanzees or wolves. But with the ability to create and believe in shared myths—whether religious beliefs, tribal identities, or even economic systems—Sapiens could unite millions of strangers under common ideas. This ability to cooperate flexibly on a large scale gave us an unprecedented advantage over other species.
In a very real sense, the Cognitive Revolution allowed Homo sapiens to conquer the world. We could organize ourselves into larger and more effective communities, trade over vast distances, and even transform entire ecosystems to suit our needs. While our physical abilities didn’t change much, this new cognitive capacity radically transformed what we could achieve as a species. From the moment of the Cognitive Revolution onward, human history began unfolding in ways that no other species has ever experienced.
