What is Big History?

Whatisbighistory

Ingredients + Goldilocks Conditions = New Complexity

What is Big History?

Big History is the study and explanation of the origin of the universe developed by a wide range of specialists in various scientific fields. Big History uses the knowledge from data provided by each field to build a comprehensive scientific origin story through eight threshold moments. In these threshold moments the Law of Entropy is defied because of changes from simple to complex.

Big History relates to how complex the universe is. Like making a cake, complexity requires a combination of diverse ingredients combined with precise arrangement in order to create an emergent property, such as the finished cake. Each threshold is a moment in time where energy is needed to defy the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which state that objects tend to stay in a dysfunctional state. When the Second Law of Thermodynamics is defied then a threshold moment is created. A threshold moment is a big change in the universe where instead of going from a complex to  a simple establishment, the universe changes from simple to complex. An example of this is the Big Bang, when everything was formed from nothing.

 

Thresholds of Increasing Complexity

  • simplicity:  more stable, more free-flowing energy
  • complexity:  a quality, fragile, requires something/someone to put effort into converting the energy so something can move from simple to complex
  • something is simple in terms of energy flow, something is complex in terms of components and how the energy flow is focused on diverse ingredients and precise arrangement create to produce emergent properties
  • for something to be complex, it must have diverse ingredients and precise arrangement, which work together to produce emergent properties
  • the second law of thermodynamics means most things tend to stay in simple states, unless Goldilocks conditions encourage something to change from simple to complex
  • complexity is a spectrum from simple to complex (ex. empty space is simple whereas modern civilization is complex)
  • a threshold moment is when something goes from simple to complex
  • within the spectrum of complexity there can be many threshold moments as something moves from simple to complex
  • In Big History there are 8 threshold moments:
    • The Big Bang:  a massive explosion of energy in which the solar system was formed, where from nothing everything was created
    • The Stars Light Up:  after the Big Bang,  galaxies and nebulae started to form. After that, the introduction of stars.
    • New Chemical Elements:  the first stars that happened were produced by many elements that come from the periodic table
    • Earth and the Solar System:  the emergence of our solar system, this will explain to us how our solar system is the way it is today. (includes: gravity, meteors, planets, moons, etc.)
    • Life: single celled organisms that can reproduce, metabolize and adapt (there will be 6 “mini-thresholds” included)
    • Collective Learning: mainly focuses on us and how humans were introduced to Earth
    • Agriculture: Farming, including the soil for the growing of crops and the raising  of animals to provide food, wool, and other products.
    • Modern Revolution: The modern revolution is the increase in global exchange and commerce.

 

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Goldilocks Conditions

Goldilocks Conditions is the concept of describing when the right conditions occur at the right time to create a big change. Planets that have goldilock conditions are called “Goldilocks Planets.” All of these planets are within a system called the “Goldilocks Zone”, but Earth is not the only planet in the Goldilock zone. Even though, Earth has the perfect distance away from the sun it still has water to sustain life.There are 47 other planets which fit under the criteria to be considered a Goldilocks Planet. These planets are potentially habitable.

 

Goldilocks Conditions (named after a folktale) is the state in which the perfect environments are present, the right compounds, and the right amount of energy that will then be transferred into one simple thing to create something more complex. A good example would be making a turkey on thanksgiving. The day is perfect for a 20 Lb turkey, however before you create such a delicious turkey you must have the right ingredients and baste the turkey and pre-heating the oven to create the perfect condition for the turkey to be cooked in. You can’t just cook a turkey through with max heat for 2-3 hours because then the turkey will be uncooked on the inside, but you must have a good temp around 450 degrees and cook the turkey for at least 5 hours to be perfectly cooked. 

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