The Big History of Everything is a film special that spans billions of years of space and time to show how everything and everyone is intertwined in a single universal story. From the Big Bang through man’s rise and even their enigmatic future, it links science and history to show how important events intersect to make life possible. The film opens by detailing the 4.5-billion-year-old creation of the solar system. Earth is at a crucial distance from the sun, and it is the only area on the planet where liquid water can be found.
After a split, about fourteen billion years ago, the first threshold moment occurred, where everything began from nothing. In the end, it’s the big bang, when all of the universe’s energies appear in an unfathomable flash. As a result of this juncture, notions like gravity emerge to anchor people to the ground. In addition, electromagnetic allows humans to make a phone call. The big bang is the starting point for all subsequent events in the universe’s history (9-21-10.36).
“Stars Light Up” is the second threshold moment. Because there was nothing to make light initially, light did not exist in the universe. On the other hand, the universe passes through hotspots of energy, density, and warmth, resulting in the birth of the first generation of stars. The demise of some stars, on the other hand, causes the cosmos to pass through other portals (15:12- 16: 45)
In addition, the production of complex elements is the third threshold. After the demise of the first stars, the elementary elements fuse to form more extensive and more complex atoms. Hydrogen and helium combine to create new elements useful in today’s universe. In the iron age and iron-clad moments, this barrier is critical. Similarly, the collision of two supernovas creates new elements, which explains the periodic table’s position (Big History 16;48-23.00)
“Formation of Earth” is the universe’s fourth threshold moment. This is the galaxy that people live in, and it was generated by the collapse of an ancient star, which resulted in a massive shock wave that spun the cloud, heating it. The sun and planets are made out of debris from an old star. The current events lead to earth capable of supporting life, with the moon providing predictable seasons and climate (Big history 23;02 -26:59)
The fifth threshold is “Life.” People think that life on Earth is the product of a chemical reaction that occurs deep within the ocean’s depths. The complex molecules that eventually generated the first living entity with a secret code known as DNA, instructing every cell, were formed by volcanic vents at the Earth’s bottom and ever-changing reactions (Big History 27:09- 35:08).
Similarly, collective learning is the sixth threshold, where the world is a healthy planet. The extinction of the dinosaurs marked this period, allowing mammals to take control of the planet. Plant and animal domestication, as well as civilization, begin. Hunting and collecting are primates’ first steps toward becoming humans. As a result of the modifications, a race known as humanity has emerged. The human body and brain evolved as a result of living in the savanna, and modern humans still have the DNA imprinted in them (Big History 35:09-48:40)
The farming revolution, which is regarded as the most significant, is the seventh threshold. Due to collective wisdom, the transition from hunting and gathering to farming began ten thousand years ago. Wheat and rice were two crops that humans could produce. They also domesticated other animals, like horses, which aided in spreading languages. This was also the era of urbanization, the rise of empires, and the development of methods to record knowledge (Big History 48; 40- 1;14;25).
Finally, the contemporary revolution represents the pinnacle of all the developments that humankind is witnessing today. The modern world is formed by the rapid rise of the human population, which creates a highly interconnected globe (Big History, 1; 15;24-1: 28). Although humans know that the story of the Earth does not end with the eight thresholds, the central question is, what is next?
Work Cited
The Big History of Everything by Big History, narrated by Bryan Cranston, Episode aired Dec 28, 2013.
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