Big History: Connecting Knowledge

About this course: We currently face unprecedented challenges on a global scale. These problems do not neatly fall into disciplines. They are complicated, complex, and connected. Join us on this epic journey of 13.8 billion years starting at the Big Bang and travelling through time all the way to the future. Discover the connections in our world, the power of collective learning, how our universe and our world has evolved from incredible simplicity to ever-increasing complexity. Experience our modern scientific origin story through Big History and discover the important links between past, current, and future events. You will find two different types of lectures. ‘Zooming In’ lectures from multiple specialists enable you to understand key concepts through the lens of different disciplines, whilst David Christian's ‘Big History Framework’ lectures provide the connective overview for a journey through eight thresholds of Big History.

Who is this class for: Anybody interested in the history of the Universe.

Created by:  Macquarie University

• Taught by:  David Christian, Professor

  Big History Institute

• Taught by:  David Baker, Associate Lecturer

  Big History Institute

Commitment 6 weeks of study, 2-4 hours/week Language English, Subtitles: Romanian How To Pass Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. User Ratings 4.7 stars Average User Rating 4.7See what learners said Coursework

Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.

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Macquarie University Macquarie is a hub of inspired and unconstrained thinking. Macquarie was founded with a unique purpose: to bring minds together unhindered by tradition. Created to challenge the education establishment, Macquarie has a rich track record of innovation. Macquarie actively shapes the complex issues that define the future of humanity.

Syllabus


WEEK 1


Big History, Critical Thinking, & Transdisciplinarity



Welcome to Big History! This is where we use the power of a transdisciplinary perspective to explore broad trends in the grand narrative of 13.8 billion years. In this module you'll learn how Big History works, explore critical-thinking, how we know what we know, and learn about the first "3 Thresholds of Increasing Complexity", milestones around which Big History is organized, starting at the beginning of the Universe, space, time, and everything in existence.


5 videos, 15 readings expand

1. Video: BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - What is Big History?
2. Reading: Resources
3. Reading: Glossary
4. Reading: How This Course Works
5. Reading: The Big History Forums
6. Reading: International Undergraduate Scholarship Opportunity
7. Reading: The Big History Bonus Points Scheme
8. Video: ZOOMING IN: Richard Menary - What is the relationship between historical & scientific explanation?
9. Reading: Resources
10. Reading: Timeline
11. Reading: Glossary
12. Video: ZOOMING IN: Jenny Duke-Yonge - How do we decide what to believe?
13. Reading: Resources
14. Reading: Glossary
15. Video: BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - How did our Universe get more complex?
16. Reading: Resources
17. Reading: Timeline
18. Reading: Glossary
19. Video: BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Baker - Big History, Critical Thinking, & Transdisciplinarity
20. Reading: LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD: David Baker - Starting Out

Graded: Big History, Critical Thinking, Transdisciplinarity
Graded: Claim Testers

WEEK 2


The Universe, Stars, and Planets



Our journey across space and time has begun. In this module, in a timeline that covers billions of years, we'll explore the origins of the universe, new stars & elements, and the solar system. You'll have the opportunity to examine cosmology, astronomy, physics, chemistry, and geology.


9 videos, 22 readings expand

1. Video: Mind-Expanding, not Head-Exploding
2. Video: ZOOMING IN: Quentin Parker - What is the observable evidence for the Big Bang?
3. Reading: Resources
4. Reading: Timeline
5. Reading: Glossary
6. Video: ZOOMING IN: Quentin Parker - How do we know how stars form?
7. Reading: Resources
8. Reading: Timeline
9. Reading: Glossary
10. Video: ZOOMING IN: Ian Jamie - Where did the elements come from?
11. Reading: Resources
12. Reading: Timeline
13. Reading: Glossary
14. Video: ZOOMING IN: Ian Jamie - What is the periodic table?
15. Reading: Resources
16. Reading: Timeline
17. Reading: Glossary
18. Video: BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - Why is Threshold 4 significant?
19. Reading: Resources
20. Reading: Timeline
21. Reading: Glossary
22. Video: ZOOMING IN: Craig O'Neill - How did the solar system form?
23. Reading: Resources
24. Reading: Timeline
25. Reading: Glossary
26. Video: ZOOMING IN: Dick Flood - What is our Earth's history and how do we know it?
27. Reading: Resources
28. Reading: Timeline
29. Reading: Glossary
30. Video: BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Baker - The Universe, Stars, & Planets
31. Reading: LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD: David Baker - From the Inanimate Universe to Life

Graded: The Universe, Stars, and Planets
Graded: Claim Testers

WEEK 3


The Evolutionary Epic



Travel through the evolutionary epic from the origin of life c.3.8 billion years ago, the evolution of complex forms after c.550 million years ago, to the evolution of some very odd primates - humans. Zoom in and explore evolutionary biology, geology, palaeontology, and anthropology.


8 videos, 21 readings expand

1. Video: BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - Why is Threshold 5 important?
2. Reading: Resources
3. Reading: Timeline
4. Reading: Glossary
5. Video: ZOOMING IN: Michael Gillings - Where did life come from?
6. Reading: Resources
7. Reading: Timeline
8. Reading: Glossary
9. Video: ZOOMING IN: Simon George - How do we get dates for Earth's history?
10. Reading: Resources
11. Reading: Glossary
12. Video: ZOOMING IN: Michael Gillings - How does evolution work?
13. Reading: Resources
14. Reading: Timeline
15. Reading: Glossary
16. Video: ZOOMING IN: Glenn Brock - How do palaeontologists study the history of life?
17. Reading: Resources
18. Reading: Timeline
19. Reading: Glossary
20. Video: BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - Why is Threshold 6 important?
21. Reading: Resources
22. Reading: Timeline
23. Reading: Glossary
24. Video: ZOOMING IN: Greg Downey - Why did our ancestors evolve such unusual abilities?
25. Reading: Resources
26. Reading: Timeline
27. Reading: Glossary
28. Video: BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Baker - The Evolutionary Epic
29. Reading: LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD: David Baker - The "Two Cultures" Meet

Graded: The Evolutionary Epic
Graded: Claim Testers

WEEK 4


Human History



After billions of years of cosmic evolution, our own rather peculiar species has emerged to cultivate even greater heights of increasing complexity. In this module, we will explore the long trend of human development from the origin of our species c.200,000 years ago to the eve of the Industrial Revolution. You will explore archaeology, paleography, and ancient, medieval, and early modern history.


7 videos, 15 readings expand

1. Video: ZOOMING IN: Yann Tristant - How did people live in the Palaeolithic?
2. Reading: Resources
3. Reading: Timeline
4. Reading: Glossary
5. Video: BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - Why is Threshold 7 important?
6. Reading: Resources
7. Reading: Timeline
8. Reading: Glossary
9. Video: ZOOMING IN: Susanne Binder - Where did writing come from?
10. Video: CASE STUDY: Susanne Binder - Reading Hieroglyphs
11. Reading: Resources
12. Reading: Timeline
13. Reading: Glossary
14. Video: ZOOMING IN: Peter Edwell - What were the Silk Roads?
15. Reading: Resources
16. Reading: Timeline
17. Reading: Glossary
18. Video: BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - What were the main changes in agrarian civilizations?
19. Reading: Resources
20. Reading: Glossary
21. Video: BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Baker - Human History
22. Reading: LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD: David Baker - Collective Learning's "Snowball Effect"

Graded: Human History
Graded: Claim Testers

WEEK 5


Modernity



We have now arrived at one of the most dynamically changing periods ever seen in human history - our own times. This module will explore how the agrarian era that had lasted for 10,000 years transitioned to the modern era with its explosion of production and complexity. We will explore modern history, political science, and economics.


6 videos, 16 readings expand

1. Video: ZOOMING IN: Kate Fullagar - What was the Industrial Revolution?
2. Reading: Resources
3. Reading: Timeline
4. Reading: Glossary
5. Video: ZOOMING IN: Mark Hearn - How did Modernity evolve after the Industrial Revolution?
6. Reading: Resources
7. Reading: Timeline
8. Reading: Glossary
9. Video: ZOOMING IN: Stephanie Lawson - How far can globalization go?
10. Reading: Resources
11. Reading: Timeline
12. Reading: Glossary
13. Video: ZOOMING IN: Wylie Bradford - Why is the world economy so integrated?
14. Reading: Resources
15. Reading: Timeline
16. Reading: Glossary
17. Video: BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - Why is Threshold 8 important?
18. Reading: Resources
19. Reading: Timeline
20. Reading: Glossary
21. Video: BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Baker - Modernity
22. Reading: LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD: David Baker - Onward to Threshold 9

Graded: Modernity
Graded: Claim Testers

WEEK 6


The Future



We've looked far into the deep past, now is the time to take what we've learned and look ahead. In this module we will explore the near and distant future, what challenges we face this century, how we study the future on the scale of billions of years, and where complexity may go from here. The section incorporates climatology, cosmology, physics, and foresight.


4 videos, 9 readings expand

1. Video: BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - What might Threshold 9 be?
2. Reading: Resources
3. Reading: Glossary
4. Video: ZOOMING IN: Lesley Hughes - How is our climate changing and what does this mean for our future?
5. Reading: Resources
6. Reading: Timeline
7. Reading: Glossary
8. Video: ZOOMING IN: Quentin Parker - Why is the future of the Universe easier to study than the future of humanity?
9. Reading: Resources
10. Reading: Timeline
11. Reading: Glossary
12. Video: BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - What have we learned from the Big History story?
13. Reading: Course Contributors

Graded: The Future
Graded: Claim Testers
Graded: Final Assignment