an online book by David Gurteen
Big History is an interdisciplinary approach to history that explores the history of the universe, life, and human civilization from the Big Bang to the present day.
Big History is an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the history of the universe, from the Big Bang to the present day. It seeks to integrate insights from various academic disciplines, including astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, anthropology, and history, to provide a holistic narrative of the cosmos and humanity’s place within it.
The concept of Big History gained popularity in the late 20th and early 21st centuries as a way to explore the grand scale of time and space. It starts with the formation of the universe around 13.8 billion years ago and traces the emergence of galaxies, stars, planets, and eventually life on Earth. The narrative continues through the evolution of life, the rise of human civilizations, and the complex interconnectedness of global societies in the modern era.
The study of Big History allows us to see patterns, connections, and underlying processes that shape the universe and human history. It encourages a broader perspective and an appreciation for the long-term consequences of our actions, emphasizing the significance of understanding our past to make informed decisions for the future.
Big History is an academic discipline which examines history from the Big Bang to the present. Big History resists specialization, and searches for universal patterns or trends. It examines long time frames using a multidisciplinary approach based on combining numerous disciplines from science and the humanities, and explores human existence in the context of this bigger picture. It integrates studies of the cosmos, Earth, life, and humanity using empirical evidence to explore cause-and-effect relations, and is taught at universities and primary and secondary schools often using web-based interactive presentations.
Historian David Christian has been credited with coining the term "Big History" while teaching one of the first such courses at Macquarie University. An all-encompassing study of humanity's relationship to cosmology and natural history has been pursued by scholars since the Renaissance, and the new field, Big History, continues such work.
Credit: Wikipedia - Big_HistoryGurteen Knowledge Blog February 6, 2023, 16:20One of my interests is history, and another is the future. However, these interests are probably not quite what you would think. My first interest is what is referred to as Big History. This type of history is focused on things other than the events of kings and queens, empires, … Continue reading Big History and Big Future What is humanity’s direction?
Gurteen Knowledge Blog June 25, 2023, 10:53Recently, Hank Kune introduced me to the fascinating concept of orality, which has had a profound impact on human communication. It made me question why I hadn’t discovered it earlier, given its significant influence on our cultural heritage. As I delved deeper into the subject, I was reminded that for … Continue reading Orality The foundation of human storytelling
In this book, Future Minds, Richard Yonck challenges our assumptions about intelligence — what it is, how it came to exist, and its place in the development of life on Earth and possibly throughout the cosmos. Taking a Big History perspective — over the 14 billion years from the Big Bang to the present and … Continue reading Future Minds: the Rise of Intelligence From the Big Bang to the End of the Universe by Richard Yonck
Gurteen Knowledge Blog March 2, 2024, 10:22I have a post in my blook chronicling the significant events in human history that have shaped our knowledge and advancement over the millennia. Beginning with the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago, it touches on pivotal moments like the rise of the first cities 9,500 years ago, the invention … Continue reading The Journey of Knowledge and Innovation A historical timeline
Introduction: Two Worlds Knowledge Revolutions Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Human knowledge has evolved over millennia, shaping our societies and cultures. However, we often overlook the broad historical context of how knowledge developed. Understanding the history of knowledge helps us navigate the present and make informed decisions for the future. Introduction In an … Continue reading A Brief History of Knowledge 200,000 years of human history
Introduction: Our Evolutionary Journey Our Past Evolutionary Journey Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter We have an anthropocentric tendency to see ourselves separate from the rest of the universe – as if we are somehow above or distinct from the natural world. Yet, when we examine things closely, we find that we are an intimate … Continue reading We Are Stardust We are literally part of the universe, not separate from it
We Are Stardust What Does Our Future Biological Evolution Hold? Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter The evolutionary journey of the universe from the Big Bang to the present day is a remarkable story of complexity, change, and adaptation. It spans billions of years and encompasses the birth of stars, the formation of galaxies, … Continue reading Our Past Evolutionary Journey The journey from the Big Bang to the present day is a remarkable story
