Big History and the Future of Humanity

Informationen zum Autor Fred Spier is Senior Lecturer in Big History at the University of Amsterdam. He also teaches Big History at the Eindhoven University of Technology and Amsterdam University College. He is the author of The Structure of Big History: From the Big Bang until Today (1996) and a founding member and President of the International Big History Association. Klappentext "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. Zusammenfassung 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. Inhaltsverzeichnis 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 ...

List 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
 
Early Inner Planetary History 122
 
Early Earth History 125
 
Life Is Very Special 126
 
The Emergence of Life 130
 
Chapter Five Life on Earth: The Widening Range of Complexity 140
 
Life, Energy and Complexity 140
 
Planetary Energy Flows and Life 147
 
The Gaia Hypothesis 149
 
The Emergence of Energy Harvesting from Outside 153
 
The Emergence of the Biological Food Web 156
 
The Emergence of Multicellular Organisms 160
 
The Emergence of Brains and Consciousness 162
 
The Increase and Expansion of Biological Complexity 166
 
Conquest of the Land 168
 
Further Increasing Complexity 170
 
Chapter Six Early Human History: The Emergence of the Greatest Known Complexity 179
 
Introduction 179
 
What Makes Humans Different 180
 
Energy and Complexity 183
 
The Emergence of Early Humans 185
 
Improving Social Coordination 188
 
Tool Making and Brain Growth 189
 
Brains and Intestines 193
 
Fire Control 194
 
Migration 197
 
The Rise of Modern Humans 200
 
Early Religion 205
 
Chapter Seven Recent Human History: The Development of the Greatest Known Complexity 214
 
Introduction 214
 
The Agrarian Revolution 220
 
The Developing Agrarian Regime 229
 
Social Effects of the Agrarian Revolution 232
 
The Emergence of Agrarian Religions 234
 
Increasing Agricultural Complexity and Declining Untamed Complexity 235
 
Early State Formation 240
 
The Emergence of Big States 245
 
The Emergence of Moral Religions 247
 
Energy and Complexity in State Societies 251
 
The First Wave of Globalization 256
 
Industrialization: The Second Wave of Globalization 264
 
Informatization: The Third Wave of Globalization 271
 
Energy, Complexity and Goldilocks Circumstances 276
 
Chapter Eight Facing the Future 295
 
Introduction 295
 
A Very Short Overview of the Long Future of the Universe 299
 
The Future of Earth and Life 300
 
The Future of Humanity 301
 
The Availability of Matter and Energy 304
 
Exhaust

Product details

• Authors: F Spier, Fred Spier, Fred (University of Amsterdam Spier
• Publisher: Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 24.04.2015
• EAN: 9781118881729
• ISBN: 978-1-118-88172-9
• No. of pages: 368
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > General, dictionaries; Physik, Geschichte, Kosmologie, History, Allg. Geschichte, Physics, Cosmology