Big History: The Big Bang, Life on Earth, and the Rise of Humanity

In Big History: The Big Bang, Life on Earth, and the Rise of Humanity, you’ll hear the monumental story of everything—from the Universe’s explosive beginning to the rise of human civilization.

Overview

Course No. 8050

How can cosmology, geology, anthropology, biology, and history fit together? Professor David Christian weaves these disciplines into a single narrative stretching from the origins of the universe to the present day. This 48-lecture course provides a modern scientific creation story that helps us understand our place in space and time.

Like traditional creation myths, this course offers a map of our existence—but uses the insights of modern science. You’ll explore:

• The formation of stars, planets, and chemical elements
• The emergence and evolution of life on Earth
• The development of human societies and civilizations
• The accelerating changes of the modern era

Bill Gates declared this his favorite Great Course for its thought-provoking synthesis of knowledge across disciplines.

Video Lectures

Part 1: Cosmic Foundations

1. What Is Big History? (31 min)
   Introduction to this multidisciplinary approach spanning 13.8 billion years.
2. Moving across Multiple Scales (30 min)
   Understanding the immense time scales of cosmic and Earth history.

3-4. Simplicity and Complexity / Evidence and Science (30-31 min)
Key concepts and methodologies in big history.

5-9. Thresholds 1-4: From Big Bang to Solar System (29-31 min each)
The creation of the universe, stars, elements, and our planet.

Part 2: Life and Evolution

10-17. Earth’s History and Life’s Emergence (29-32 min each)
Plate tectonics, origins of life, Darwin’s theory, and evolution from single-celled to multi-celled organisms.

18-23. Human Origins (30-32 min each)
Hominine evolution, evidence for human development, and Paleolithic lifeways.

Part 3: Human Civilization

24-37. Agricultural Revolution to Modern Era (29-33 min each)
The rise of agriculture, early civilizations, power structures, and world zones.

Part 4: The Modern Revolution

38-48. Industrial Age to Future Speculation (29-33 min each)
Industrial breakthroughs, 20th century transformations, and humanity’s future in the cosmos.