Big History And The Future Of Humanity

By (author) Spier, Fred
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Featuring a variety of updates and revisions, Big History and the Future of Humanity, Second Edition, presents an accessible and original overview of the entire sweep of history from the origins of the universe and origins of life on Earth up to the present day.
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big history and the future of humanity

"This remains the best single attempt to theorize big history as a discipline that can link core concepts and paradigms across all historical disciplines, from cosmology to geology, from biology to human history. With additional and updated material, the Second Edition also offers a fine introduction to the history of big history and a superb introductory survey to the big history story. Essential reading for anyone interested in a rapidly evolving new field of scholarship that links the sciences and the humanities into a modern, science-based origin story."
—David Christian, Macquarie University

"Notable for its theoretic approach, this new Second Edition is both an indispensable contribution to the emerging big history narrative and a powerful university textbook. Spier defines words carefully and recognizes the limits of current knowledge, aspects of his own clear thinking."
—Cynthia Brown, Emerita, Dominican University of California

Reflecting the latest theories in the sciences and humanities, this new edition of Big History and the Future of Humanity presents an accessible and original overview of the entire sweep of history from the origins of the universe and life on Earth up to the present day. Placing the relatively brief period of human history within a much broader framework – one that considers everything from vast galaxy clusters to the tiniest sub-atomic particles – big history is an innovative theoretical approach that opens up entirely new multidisciplinary research agendas. Noted historian Fred Spier reveals how a thorough examination of patterns of complexity can offer richer insights into what the future may have in store for humanity.

The second edition includes new learning features, such as highlighted scientific concepts, an illustrative timeline and comprehensive glossary. By exploring the cumulative history from the Big Bang to the modern day, Big History and the Future of Humanity, Second Edition, sheds important historical light on where we have been – and offers a tantalizing glimpse of what lies ahead.

Table of contents:

List of Figures viii

List of Text Boxes x

Preface and Acknowledgments xi

A Short Time Line of Big History xx

Chapter One Introduction to Big History 1

Introduction 1

Studying the Past 2

A Very Short History of Academic History 12

A Short History of Big History 18

A Historical Theory of Everything? 29

Chapter Two General Approach 42

Introduction 42

Matter and Energy 45

Complexity 48

Energy Flows and the Emergence of Complexity 54

The Goldilocks Principle 63

Chapter Three Cosmic Evolution: The Emergence of Simple Forms of Complexity 74

Introduction 74

The Big Bang: No Complexity 75

Recent Issues Concerning the Big Bang Scenario 77

The Radiation Era: The Emergence of Complexity at the Smallest Scales 80

The Matter Era: The Emergence of Complexity at Atomic and Molecular Scales 86

Galaxy Formation: The Emergence of Complexity at Larger Scales 89

The Emergence of Stars 95

Stars as Nuclear Forges 100

Chapter Four Our Cosmic Neighborhood: The Emergence of Greater Complexity 107

Introduction 107

The Galactic Habitable Zone 110

The Emergence of Our Cosmic Neighborhood 111

The Solar System Habitable Zone 116

Major Characteristics of Earth 118

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