Publisher's Synopsis
Big History is our modern scientific and historical creation story which unfolds in eight increasing thresholds of complexity. Our story starts with the creation of the Universe in the Big Bang, 13.8 billion years ago. Then we proceed to the formation of the first stars and galaxies, 200 million years after the Big Bang. The third threshold is the creation of all the chemical elements in the Universe, either within the core of stars, or for those elements heavier than iron, from exploding supernovas. This diversity of chemical elements allowed for greater complexity, the formation of gas, ice, and rocky planets, including our Earth and solar system, which was formed 4.5 billion years ago. The fifth threshold examines the appearance of life on Earth 3.8 billion years ago, and the incredible explosion of species through the process of natural selection and evolution. This evolution ultimately leads to the sixth threshold, humans, who first appeared in the Rift Valley of East Africa 300,000 years ago. We then explore the history of humanity; from leaving Africa, migrating around the world as hunters and gatherers, and the advent of agriculture alongside major river systems around 12,000 years ago after the end of the last Ice Age, directly leading to great civilizations, the modern world, and our technological revolution, which we are just on the cusp of experiencing now. We examine the future of humanity, the Earth, solar system, our Milky Way galaxy, and ultimately the Universe. In this book, I argue that we are close to approaching a ninth level of increasing complexity, the singularity, when artificial intelligence will exceed human intelligence.
