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What if you experienced every human life in history?

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TEDEd Animation

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Imagine that your life began as one of the planet’s first humans. After dying, you're reincarnated as the second human ever to live. You then return as the third person, the fourth, the fifth, and so on – living the lives of every human that’s ever walked the Earth. How will your actions in one life impact your future selves? Explore the ethics of the philosophy known as longtermism.

Why do you think the thought experiment emphasizes how few of your lives would be spent as a major historical figure?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Director Jay Septimo, Khoo Siew May, AIM Creative Studios
  • Narrator George Zaidan
  • Storyboard Artist Khoo Siew May, Jay Septimo
  • Animator Jay Septimo, Helgil Siega, Khoo Siew May
  • AIM Creative Studios Producer Tiago Ribeiro
  • Illustrator Khoo Siew May, Tammy Leow
  • Composer André Aires
  • Sound Designer André Aires
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Producer Anna Bechtol
  • Associate Producer Abdallah Ewis
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler

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