Name: The history of our world in 18 minutes
Uploaded: 2011-04-11T14:00:00Z
Duration: 17 min 23 s
Description: Backed by stunning illustrations, David Christian narrates a complete history of the universe, from the Big Bang to the Internet, in a riveting 18 minutes. This is "Big History": an enlightening, wide-angle look at complexity, life and humanity, set against our slim share of the cosmic timeline.

Backed by stunning illustrations, David Christian narrates a complete history of the universe, from the Big Bang to the Internet, in a riveting 18 minutes. This is "Big History": an enlightening, wide-angle look at complexity, life and humanity, set against our slim share of the cosmic timeline.

The history of our world in 18 minutes

Despite the universe’s tendency toward disorder, extraordinary pockets of complexity—from stars to cities—have emerged over 13.7 billion years. A single city like New York trades over 10 billion distinct commodities, a testament to rising complexity fueled by unique 'Goldilocks conditions.' Life’s evolution, culminating in humanity’s power to collectively learn, stands as the latest leap in this unfolding story. Yet, this complexity is fragile, and our future depends on understanding both its promise and its peril.

Complexity Emerges Against All Odds in a Chaotic Universe

*Maps of Time*

Since the Talk: Big history gets even bigger

Internet

Big Bang

history

humanity

universe

visualizations

TED Stage Talk

David Christian: The history of our world in 18 minutes