Biggest Story in Human History

In the grand scale of human history, every epoch has been defined by monumental stories, world-altering events that have reshaped civilizations, redefined cultures, and redrawn the boundaries of our collective understanding.

The discovery of fire by early hominids was not just an event, but a revolutionary moment that altered the course of human history, enabling our ancestors to cook food, ward off predators, and survive in colder climates. Similarly, the invention of the wheel marked a major technological leap, reshaping transportation and enabling the movement and trade of goods and commodities over long distances. The advent of agriculture marked the dawn of the Neolithic Revolution, leading to permanent settlements and the formation of complex societies. In more recent times, the Industrial Revolution brought forth unprecedented technological advancements and societal changes, driving a shift from agrarian societies to industrial and urban ones. The discovery of the structure of DNA in the mid-20th century, often underplayed in its early days, has since revolutionized biology and medicine, paving the way for advancements such as genetic engineering and personalized medicine. Each of these milestones has redefined our understanding of the world, reshaped societies, and redrawn the boundaries of human potential, becoming monumental stories in the narrative of our species.

As we stand on the precipice of an accelerating future, several potential milestones loom on the horizon that could drastically alter the course of human history. These range from contact with non-human intelligence, the advent of singularity, achieving human immortality, to planetary colonization and more. Each of these breakthroughs carry implications that could dwarf any event from our collective past, redefining our understanding of existence and reality. However, it appears that mainstream media often sidelines these topics, focusing on immediate, easily digestible narratives. This article aims to explore why such monumental possibilities may not be making headlines and reflects on examples where the media has underreported or dismissed significant revelations.

There are several potential milestones that could significantly alter human history and become the “biggest story in human history”:

1. Contact with Non-Human Intelligence (NHI): Confirmation of intelligent life beyond Earth could reshape our understanding of our place in the universe, our belief systems, and our knowledge of biology and cosmology.
2. Singularity: The point at which artificial intelligence surpasses human intelligence could bring about drastic and unpredictable changes. This could lead to rapid advancements in technology, with potentially profound societal implications.
3. Human Immortality: Scientific breakthroughs that effectively eliminate aging or death could fundamentally change the human condition, creating new societal structures, ethical considerations, and challenges related to overpopulation and resources.
4. Planetary Colonization: Establishing sustainable human colonies on other planets would be a significant milestone in human history. This would not only ensure our survival as a species in case of a catastrophic event on Earth, but also drastically expand our knowledge and understanding of the universe.
5. World Peace: Achieving global peace, with the eradication of war, violence, and suffering, would certainly be one of the most significant stories in human history. This would entail resolving numerous complex and longstanding conflicts and challenges, from political strife to economic inequality to racial and ethnic tensions.
6. Fusion Energy or Other Sustainable Energy Breakthroughs: Discovering a plentiful, cheap, and clean source of energy could resolve many of the world’s current environmental and geopolitical challenges. Fusion energy, in particular, holds the promise of providing such an energy source.
7. Curing All Diseases: If humanity were to develop cures for all diseases, this would be a huge story. It would drastically increase average lifespans, eliminate much suffering, and potentially change the entire healthcare landscape.

The confirmation of Non-Human Intelligence (NHI) life would represent the most transformative moments in human history for several reasons:

1. Scientific Impact: Our understanding of biology, physics, and cosmology would be fundamentally challenged and expanded. We could learn about entirely new forms of life, evolution, technology, and ways of interacting with the universe.
2. Philosophical and Religious Implications: The discovery of Non-Human intelligence would challenge many religious and philosophical beliefs. It could prompt a profound reevaluation of human exceptionalism and our place in the universe, driving us to redefine our understanding of life, consciousness, and spirituality.
3. Technological Exchange: If communication is established with an advanced alien civilization, humanity might benefit from a knowledge exchange, potentially gaining insights into advanced technology and sciences that we have not yet discovered.
4. Societal Impact: It could unite humanity as never before, as we realize that we’re not separated by countries and cultures, but are all Earthlings in a vast cosmic neighborhood. This realization could foster global unity, cooperation, and shared identity.
5. Potential Threat or Cooperation: There would be substantial questions and potential concerns about the intentions of the Non-Human intelligence. Are they friendly, hostile, or indifferent towards us? The outcomes of these interactions could profoundly impact the future trajectory of humanity.
6. Fulfillment of Human Curiosity: Humans have gazed at the stars and wondered about the existence of Non-Human life for thousands of years. Confirmation of its existence would be a monumental moment, answering one of our oldest and most profound questions.

All these reasons, among others, explain why contact with Non-Human intelligence could potentially become the biggest story in human history.

But the mainstream media isn’t covering these potential monumental moments in human history, it may be due to a variety of reasons:

1. Lack of Immediate Relevance: While these topics are undoubtedly of significant importance, they are still largely speculative and may not be immediately relevant to the general public. Media often focuses on current events and issues directly impacting people’s lives.
2. Complexity and Misunderstanding: These topics involve complex scientific, philosophical, and societal concepts that may be challenging for the average person to understand. This complexity could lead to misunderstanding, misinterpretation, or disinterest among viewers.
3. Sensationalism: Some media outlets might avoid these topics to sidestep accusations of sensationalism or pseudoscience. Until there’s concrete evidence or developments, such topics might be perceived as speculative fiction rather than factual news.
4. Credibility and Verification: Reliable sources and verification are crucial in journalism. It could be that there is insufficient evidence, or the sources aren’t reliable or credible enough for mainstream media to confidently report on these subjects.
5. Audience Interest: Mainstream media often caters to the interests of its target audience. If the audience isn’t showing a strong interest in these topics, media outlets might choose to focus on other issues that attract more viewership or readership.
6. Commercial Considerations: Media outlets operate in a competitive market and need to attract viewers and advertisers. Stories that are too far outside the mainstream, too complex, or too speculative may not draw the audience necessary to sustain a commercial media operation.
7. Fear of Inducing Panic or Unrest: For topics like contact with extraterrestrial intelligence or the Singularity, there could be a concern about causing unnecessary panic or anxiety among the public.
8. Political Agendas and Influence: Politicians and governments may exert influence on media coverage to support their interests, policies, or narratives. If a story doesn’t align with these agendas, or threatens to disrupt them, it might be downplayed, spun, or not covered at all. For example, breakthroughs in renewable energy could be suppressed if they clash with a government heavily invested in fossil fuels.
9. Corporate Interests: Corporations, particularly in industries such as pharmaceuticals, energy, and technology, may have vested interests in controlling the narrative around certain subjects. Stories that could threaten their market dominance or profitability, like developments in alternative medicines or renewable energy technologies, might be underreported or presented in a negative light.
10. State and Corporate Media Ownership: In many countries, media outlets are owned by the state or by private corporations, which can result in biased reporting in favor of their interests. Media independence can be compromised if there’s pressure from owners to report in a certain way or avoid particular topics.
11. Access Journalism: Journalists sometimes rely on sources within government or corporations for information. There’s a risk that journalists may self-censor or present stories in a way that will not upset their sources to ensure they continue to have access in the future.
12. National Security and Legal Concerns: Governments may suppress information under the guise of national security. Media outlets failing to comply could face legal repercussions. Likewise, stories involving classified or sensitive information might be avoided due to potential legal implications, even if they’re of public interest.
13. Gatekeeping: Editors and journalists act as gatekeepers, deciding which stories get published or broadcasted and how they are presented. Personal biases, professional norms, cultural perspectives, and other subjective factors can influence these decisions, resulting in some stories being prioritized over others.

These factors provide a broader context for why certain monumental events or transformative developments might not receive the media coverage they seemingly deserve. It underscores the complexity of the media landscape and the multitude of factors that can influence the dissemination of information to the public.

Media suppression can occur for a variety of reasons, such as political pressure, legal issues, national security, economic interests, or editorial policy. However, it’s important to distinguish between deliberate suppression, where there’s a conscious decision to withhold or manipulate information, and cases where stories are overlooked or underreported due to audience interest, complexity of the topic, or commercial considerations.

There have been cases where stories initially underreported or dismissed by mainstream media were later revealed to be significant:

1. Pentagon Papers: In 1971, military analyst Daniel Ellsberg leaked a top-secret Department of Defense study of U.S. political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967, which came to be known as the Pentagon Papers. This leak revealed that the U.S. government had systematically lied to the public about the Vietnam War.
2. WikiLeaks and Chelsea Manning: In 2010, WikiLeaks, founded by Julian Assange, published a series of leaks provided by U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. These leaks included the “Collateral Murder” video, which showed U.S. soldiers fatally shooting 18 people from a helicopter in Iraq, the Afghanistan war logs, the Iraq war logs, and a quarter million diplomatic cables, exposing various abuses of power.
3. Cambridge Analytica and Facebook: In 2018, Christopher Wylie blew the whistle on Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm that had improperly accessed data from millions of Facebook users without their consent for political advertising. The scandal led to heightened scrutiny of Facebook’s privacy practices and the use of personal data in political advertising.
4. Panama Papers: In 2016, an anonymous whistleblower leaked 11.5 million files from the database of the world’s fourth-largest offshore law firm, Mossack Fonseca. The documents revealed widespread illegal activities, including fraud, tax evasion, and evasion of international sanctions by high-profile individuals and corporations. While not underreported, the sheer volume and complexity of the data took time to fully analyze and appreciate in scope.
5. NSA Surveillance (Edward Snowden leaks): Before Edward Snowden’s leaks in 2013, claims of widespread surveillance by the NSA were often dismissed or underreported. Snowden’s leaks provided hard evidence of these activities, leading to global debate about privacy, surveillance, and the role of intelligence agencies.

Each of these cases involved the revelation of information that powerful entities would have preferred to remain hidden, and their disclosure led to significant public debate and changes in policy or behavior.

In an era characterized by rapid technological progress, the potential for game-changing discoveries and breakthroughs is greater than ever. However, the mainstream media’s coverage of these potential milestones often falls short, largely due to factors such as perceived lack of immediate relevance, complexity of the subjects, concerns over credibility, audience interest, commercial considerations, and fear of inducing panic. Despite these barriers, history has shown us that stories initially dismissed or underreported can, and often do, turn out to be of monumental significance. It underscores the need for a vigilant public, robust independent journalism, and transparency from those in positions of power. As we grapple with these potentially epoch-defining milestones, it is more important than ever for us to engage in open, informed dialogue about our future, free from censorship and suppression. For the possibility of contact with non-human intelligence, this is indeed the biggest story in human history.