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

Scope

The Structure of the Course

Thresholds—Disciplines Lectures

Introduction: What Is Big History? 1–

Threshold 1: The Universe—Cosmology 5, 6

Threshold 2: The First Stars—Astronomy 7

Threshold 3: The Chemical Elements—Chemistry 8

Threshold 4: The Earth and the Solar System—Geology 9–

Threshold 5: Life—Biology 12–

Threshold 6: The Paleolithic Era—Human History 20–

Threshold 7: The Agrarian Era—Human History 24–

Threshold 8: The Modern Era—Human History 38–

Conclusion: Futures and the Place of Humans

in Big History

46–