From Stone Age to AI: The Evolution of Humanity Top Ten Documentaries

June 21, 2023

"The only thing new in the world is the history you do not know." - Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the United States.

History is marked by pivotal moments and groundbreaking inventions that have shaped the course of humanity. From the signing of historical pacts to the dawn of artificial intelligence, documentaries and docuseries offer a compelling lens through which to explore these transformative events and innovations.

These stories not only chronicle the milestones in human history but also delve into their far-reaching implications. They offer insights into the forces that drive human progress, and the challenges and ethical dilemmas that often accompany these advancements.

 

a caveman and a cell phone with wings

 

Top Ten Documentaries Charting Humanity's Leap Forward:

 

 

The Sci-Fi Boys

a painting where a gorilla raises his hands and several men pose for the camera

First shown on the Syfy Channel in 2006, "The Sci-Fi Boys" won the Saturn Award as the Best DVD of the Science-Fiction genre and many other awards.  Peter Jackson, who hosts this travel through time from the earliest days of primitive movie effects to the computer effects of today, has written: "This film charts the evolution of fantastic cinema, to put on record, for all time, the influence that the pioneers of special effects had on my generation of filmmakers."  Producer-Director Paul J. Davids, is noted for his authorship of six "Star Wars" sequel books for Lucasfilm and as one of the founding producers of the original "Transformers" animated TV episodes, as well as being an executive producer and co-writer of Showtime's "Roswell," which was nominated for a Golden Globe Award as Best Television Motion Picture.

 

Takumi

an employee performs quality control on a black car

It is widely believed that it takes 10.000 hours to become an expert. In Japan, some people claim that it takes 60.000 hours to achieve true mastery, and this people are called Takumi. Much of us will never reach such heights, but what about machines? Artificial intelligence can learn at an instant what a human learns over a lifetime. It is developing so rapidly than by 2050, machines will replace humans in virtually every field. Will human craft disappear as artificial intelligence go beyond our limits? The Japanese "Takumis" could have the answer.

 

Cryptopia: Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet

a young man in a hood looks at the city from a room

After his first installment on the subject of cryptocurrencies "Bitcoin: The End of Money As We Know It", eccentric filmmaker and media entrepreneur Torsten Hoffmann comes with this controversial documentary to put his finger on the pulse of the blockchain technology. With the participation of the so-called "new geniuses" of cryptocurrencies, the documentary is based on interviews with the new faces that defend this monetary revolution and a group of financial experts skeptical of the benefits that this new way of managing money digitally could bring. 

 

Music, Power and Revolution Part I - Music in the Time of the Great War

a cemetery and white crosses

When the First World War broke out in 1914, the music world did not remain unaffected. Artists inevitably became involved, either as soldiers at the front or as composers of patriotic music or musical memorials to a lost world. While Parts One and Two explore both the hopeful and subsequently tragic entanglements of art and politics to which so many artists fell victim during the First World War and the October Revolution, Part Three embarks on a search for the political aspects of music up to this day.

 

Men at Lunch

employees over the abyss on a metal beam

This is a remarkable investigation documentary into the density of a single photograph to unravel its mysteries and more incredible repercussions. It is the photo in which eleven steel workers have lunch over a steel beam at 800 feet high in New York City in 1932. Ordinary New Yorkers, photographers, journalists and construction workers of today participate with their testimony in what stands as an open conversation on the various questions posed by the curious portrait.

 

The Day the Universe Changed

a crystal ball

This docuseries, available on YouTube, explores the history of scientific discovery and how it has shaped our understanding of the world. Through a series of episodes, the program examines key moments in the history of science, from ancient discoveries to modern advancements.

 

The Ascent of Money

A man looks at the camera, his desk is full of documents

Available on Netflix, this documentary delves into the history of money and finance, revealing how these systems have influenced the course of human history. Through interviews with experts and archival footage, the film explores the evolution of money, from the earliest coins to today's globalized financial system.

 

The Code

a man in a black coat with no hair

This BBC docuseries explores the history of codes and cryptography, from ancient times to the digital age. Through a series of episodes, the program examines how codes have been used to convey information, from Egyptian hieroglyphics to modern computer codes.

 

The Social Dilemma 

an illustration of the power of social media

Available on Netflix, this documentary explores the rise of social media and its impact on society, highlighting the ethical dilemmas posed by these powerful platforms. Through interviews with tech experts and archival footage, the film examines how social media is changing our ways of communication, interaction, and understanding of the world.

 

AlphaGo

two opponents go head to head

This film chronicles the historic match between the AI program AlphaGo and world Go champion, Lee Sedol, marking a significant milestone in the development of artificial intelligence. Through interviews with AlphaGo's creators and footage from the match, the film explores the implications of this milestone for the future of AI.

 

These documentaries and docuseries offer a fascinating exploration of the pivotal moments and groundbreaking inventions that have shaped human history. They remind us of our capacity for innovation and progress, while also prompting us to reflect on the ethical implications of these advancements.

 

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