1、Cosmic Education and Big HistoryBy Michael DuffyAMS Conference 2019Cosmic Education Cosmic Education consists in telling a comprehensive story of the origin of everything from the Big Bang to today.Cosmic Education Cosmic Education consists in telling a comprehensive story of the origin of everythin
2、g from the Big Bang to today.Traditional Montessori origin stories:Of the universe(Creation Story)Of earthly life(Timeline of Life)Of humans(Timeline of Humans)Of language(History of Writing)Of math(History of Numbers)Cosmic Education Expanded list of origin stories:Of the universe(Big Bang version)
3、Of the stars and solar system(cosmology)Of the Earth(geological history)Of earthly life(Timeline of Life)Of humans(Timeline of Humans)Of civilizations(human history)(schema of Children of the Universe,by Michael and DNeil Duffy)Cosmic EducationBig History Course taught by Professor David Christian o
4、f San Diego State University 48-lecture series from The Teaching Company:“Big History:The Big Bang,Life on Earth,and the Rise of Humanity”Wrote book entitled“Maps of Time:An Introduction to Big History”The Nature of Big History“Big history surveys the past at all possible scales,from conventional hi
5、story,to the much larger scales of biology and geology,to the universal scales of cosmology.It weaves a single story,stretching from the origins of the Universe to the present day and beyond,using accounts of the past developed within scholarly disciplines that are usually studied quite separately.”
6、-Intro to course guidebook The Nature of Big History“Human history is seen as part of the history of our Earth and biosphere,and the Earths history,in turn,is seen as part of the history of the Universe.In this way,the different disciplines that make up this large story can be used to illuminate eac
7、h other.The unified account of the past assembled in this way can help us understand our own place within the Universe.”-Intro to course guidebook Moving Across Scales Journeys through time and space put us in different scales of study.See Powers of Ten video and websites(powersof10).Each scale with
8、in Big History brings new things into focus,even while it hides other things.Moving Across Scales Montessori timelines:Clock of Eons-4.5 billion years Earth Timeline of Life-500 million years-Life Timeline of Early Humans-2 million years-Homo Timeline of Modern Humans-200,000 years-Homo sapiens Time
9、line of Civilizations-10,000 years-CivilizationsThe Thresholds of Big History1.Creation of the Universe-13.7 billion years agoThe Thresholds of Big History1.Creation of the Universe-13.7 billion years ago2.Creation of stars-12 byaThe Thresholds of Big History1.Creation of the Universe-13 billion yea
10、rs ago2.Creation of stars-12 bya3.Creation of chemical elements in dying starsThe Thresholds of Big History1.Creation of the Universe-13.7 billion years ago2.Creation of stars-12 bya3.Creation of chemical elements in dying stars4.Creation of planets and Earth-4.5 byaThe Thresholds of Big History1.Cr
11、eation of the Universe-13.7 billion years ago2.Creation of stars-12 bya3.Creation of chemical elements in dying stars4.Creation of planets and Earth-4.5 bya5.Creation of life on Earth-3.8 byaThe Thresholds of Big History1.Creation of the Universe-13.7 billion years ago2.Creation of stars-12 bya3.Cre
12、ation of chemical elements in dying stars4.Creation of planets and Earth-4.5 bya5.Creation of life on Earth-3.8 bya6.Creation of our species-250,000 years agoThe Thresholds of Big History1.Creation of the Universe-13.7 billion years ago2.Creation of stars-12 bya3.Creation of chemical elements in dyi
13、ng stars4.Creation of planets and Earth-4.5 bya5.Creation of life on Earth-3.8 bya6.Creation of our species-250,000 years ago7.Creation of agriculture 11,000 years agoThe Thresholds of Big History1.Creation of the Universe-13.7 billion years ago2.Creation of stars-12 bya3.Creation of chemical elemen
14、ts in dying stars4.Creation of planets and Earth-4.5 bya5.Creation of life on Earth-3.8 bya6.Creation of our species-250,000 years ago7.Creation of agriculture-11,000 years ago8.Creation of the modern revolutionSimplicity and Complexity Nature of complexity:Diverse components bound into larger struc
15、tures(e.g.living organisms)Simplicity and Complexity Nature of complexity:Diverse components bound into larger structures(e.g.living organisms)These structures display“emergent”properties,not present in their componentsSimplicity and Complexity Nature of complexity:Diverse components bound into larg
16、er structures(e.g.living organisms)These structures display“emergent”properties,not present in their components Complex entities have certain stabilitySimplicity and Complexity Nature of complexity:Diverse components bound into larger structures(e.g.living organisms)These structures display“emergent
17、”properties,not present in their components Complex entities have certain stability Energy flows are needed to bind simple components into complex structuresSimplicity and Complexity Over 13 billion years,the upper level of complexity appears to have increased,even though the universe as a whole is
18、tending toward entropy.Simplicity and Complexity Over 13 billion years,the upper level of complexity appears to have increased,even though the universe as a whole is tending toward entropy.Astronomer Eric Chaisson has estimated the amount of energy(in ergs)flowing through a given amount of mass(in g
19、rams)in a given amount of time(seconds)-energy flow increases as complexity increases.Eric ChaissonComplex StructuresEnergy Rate(ergs/gram/second)Galaxies 1Stars 2Planets 75Plants 900Animals 20,000Human Brain150,000Modern Society500,000Threshold 1-The Big Bang Beginning of the universe 13.7 billion
20、years ago-pure energy Within the first millisecond,the universe expanded from the size of an atom to that of a galaxy,faster than the speed of light Threshold 1-The Big Bang Beginning of the universe 13.7 billion years ago-pure energy Within the first millisecond,the universe expanded from the size
21、of an atom to that of a galaxy,faster than the speed of light Within seconds,quarks were formed in positive and negative form,then protons and electrons.Threshold 1-The Big Bang Beginning of the universe 13.7 billion years ago-pure energy Within the first millisecond,the universe expanded from the s
22、ize of an atom to that of a galaxy,faster than the speed of light Within seconds,quarks were formed in positive and negative form,then protons and electrons.About 380,000 years later,universe cooled enough so that protons joined with electrons to form first atoms of hydrogen.Threshold 2-Stars and Ga
23、laxies Hydrogen clouds are affected by the force of gravity and by minute variations in density throughout the cloudsThreshold 2-Stars and Galaxies Hydrogen clouds are affected by the force of gravity and by minute variations in density throughout the clouds As gravity creates a contracting mass of
24、hydrogen,pressure and heat increaseThreshold 2-Stars and Galaxies Hydrogen clouds are affected by the force of gravity and by minute variations in density throughout the clouds As gravity creates a contracting mass of hydrogen,pressure and heat increase At 10 million degrees Celsius,hydrogen nuclei
25、fuse into helium atoms,with the release of massive amounts of energy(/hydrogen bombs)Threshold 2-Stars and Galaxies Hydrogen clouds are affected by the force of gravity and by minute variations in density throughout the clouds As gravity creates a contracting mass of hydrogen,pressure and heat incre
26、ase At 10 million degrees Celsius,hydrogen nuclei fuse into helium atoms,with the release of massive amounts of energy(/hydrogen bombs)When this level of energy is produced by nucleosynthesis,a star is born or lights upThreshold 2-Stars and Galaxies Stars gather into clusters called galaxiesThreshol
27、d 3-Chemical Elements The elements of the periodic table are created in the life and death of stars:Small stars burn hydrogen slowly,turning it into helium,and last a long time(many billions of years),eventually turning into a“white dwarf”Threshold 3-Chemical Elements The elements of the periodic ta
28、ble are created in the life and death of stars:A medium star(like our Sun)burns up its hydrogen and helium and collapses in on itself when it starts to run out of fuel,creating elements up to iron(with 26 protons)and expanding into a“red giant”Threshold 3-Chemical Elements The elements of the period
29、ic table are created in the life and death of stars:Massive stars create massive explosions called“supernovae,”and they create the remaining elements of the periodic table as temperatures soar to 4 billion degrees Celsius.They only last about a million years and end up as a“neutron star”or a“black h
30、ole”Threshold 4-Solar System/Earth Planetary systems like ours are the result of a supernova explosion,like the one that occurred 4.5 billion years ago in our own galaxy.Threshold 4-Solar System/Earth Our Sun was formed from the collapsing cloud of hydrogen(70%),helium(27%),carbon,oxygen and nitroge
31、n(1.5%),and the remaining elements of the periodic table(1.5%).Threshold 4-Solar System/Earth Earth and the other planets were formed from the leftover debris(0.1%of the solar nebula)drawn into spheres by the force of gravity and collisions.Threshold 4-Solar System/Earth Hadeon eon,first 500 million
32、 years,was a“hellish”time when Earth was bombarded with collisions and inner radioactivity,causing it to melt and form layers.Macintosh PICTimage formatis not supportedThreshold 4-Solar System/Earth Hadeon eon,first 500 million years,was a“hellish”time when Earth was bombarded with collisions and in
33、ner radioactivity,causing it to melt and form layers.The moon,Earths satellite,was likely formed by a collision that gouged out the upper layers of the proto-Earth(about the size of Mars before collision).Threshold 4-Solar System/Earth The Archaeon Eon,from 4 billion to 2.5 billion years ago,brought
34、 a reduction in collisions and the formation of oxygen in the atmosphere.Macintosh PICTimage formatis not supportedThreshold 4-Solar System/Earth The Archaeon Eon,from 4 billion to 2.5 billion years ago,brought a reduction in collisions and the formation of oxygen in the atmosphere.The crust of the
35、Earth is formed by plates that shift over geological time,forming supercontinents(e.g.Pangaea)and mountain ranges.Threshold 5-Life Life is a new emergent level of complexity,characterized by:Metabolism(way of extracting energy-eat and breathe)Threshold 5-Life Life is a new emergent level of complexi
36、ty,characterized by:Metabolism(way of extracting energy-eat and breathe)Reproduction(make copies of themselves)Threshold 5-Life Life is a new emergent level of complexity,characterized by:Metabolism(way of extracting energy-eat and breathe)Reproduction(make copies of themselves)Adaptation(change to
37、fit environment)Darwin and“natural selection”Threshold 5-Life Origins of Life:Divine intervention Threshold 5-Life Origins of Life:Divine intervention Extra terrestrial sourceThreshold 5-Life Origins of Life:Divine intervention Extra terrestrial source Spontaneous generation Chemical evolution to me
38、ga-molecules(amino acids)DNA the software for re-generation of complexityThreshold 5-Life Stages of adaptation of life:Prokaryotes Photosynthesis Eukaryotes(single-celled)Sexual reproduction Multi-celled organisms Vertebrates Land dwelling amphibians and reptiles MammalsThreshold 5 Life Stages of ad
39、aptation of life:Archaeon Eon Prokaryotes(3.8 billion years ago)-bacteria Very simple,microscopic organisms No nucleus within cell membrane Lived in oceans off chemicals and other prokaryotesMacintosh PICTimage formatis not supportedThreshold 5-Life Stages of adaptation of life:Archaeon Eon Photosyn
40、thesis(3.5 billion years ago)-algae(cyanobacteria)Complex chemical reaction Captures energy from Sun Absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen as by product Buildup of oxygen in atmosphere created“oxygen holocaust”but made Proterozoic eon possibleMacintosh PICTimage formatis not supportedThreshold 5-
41、Life Stages of adaptation of life:Proterozoic Eon Eukaryotes(1 billion years ago)-Merged two organisms in symbiosis-organelles had own DNA,including:Chloroplasts(extract energy from Sun)Mitochondria(use oxygen for energy)Nucleus within cell membrane Macintosh PICTimage formatis not supportedThreshol
42、d 5-Life Stages of adaptation of life:Proterozoic Eon Sexual reproduction (1 billion years ago)-Prokaryotes simply split into clones Eukaryotes exchanged genetic information(sexual)Accelerated adaptation to environmentMacintosh PICTimage formatis not supportedThreshold 5-Life Stages of adaptation of
43、 life:Phanerozoic Eon(revealed life)Multi-celled organisms(600 million bce)-Cambrian Era All cells have identical DNA or genetic information Specialization among cells through activation of parts of DNA Macintosh PICTimage formatis not supportedThreshold 5-Life Stages of adaptation of life:Phanerozo
44、ic Eon(revealed life)Multi-celled organisms(600 million bce)-Cambrian Era All cells have identical DNA or genetic information Specialization among cells through activation of parts of DNA Vertebrates(500 million bce)-Ordovician Period Front and back ends Nervous system to coordinate organism functio
45、nsMacintosh PICTimage formatis not supportedThreshold 5-Life Stages of adaptation of life:Phanerozoic Eon(revealed life)Multi-celled organisms(600 million bce)-Cambrian Era All cells have identical DNA or genetic information Specialization among cells through activation of parts of DNA Vertebrates(5
46、00 million bce)-Ordovician Period Front and back ends Nervous system to coordinate organism functions Land-based organisms(400 million bce)-Devonian P.Plants and insects were first on land Amphibians and reptilesMacintosh PICTimage formatis not supportedThreshold 5-Life Stages of adaptation of life:
47、Phanerozoic Eon(revealed life)Multi-celled organisms(600 million bce)-Cambrian Era All cells have identical DNA or genetic information Specialization among cells through activation of parts of DNA Vertebrates(500 million bce)-Ordovician Period Front and back ends Nervous system to coordinate organis
48、m functions Land-based organisms(400 million bce)-Devonian P.Plants and insects were first on land Amphibians and reptiles Mammals(250 million bce)-Triassic Period Permian extinction(250mya)/Pangaea(species competition?)Cretaceous event(65 mya)-asteroid impact Mammals emerged as most successful surv
49、ivorsMacintosh PICTimage formatis not supportedThreshold 6-Humans Pre-human period-Primate and Hominine Ancestors Primates(65 million years ago)-monkeys and lemurs Great Apes(18 million years ago)-chimps,gorillas,orangutans First hominines(7 million years ago)-bi-pedal Australopithecines(4 million y
50、ears ago)Homo habilis (2.3 million years ago)-tools Home ergaster(aka erectus)(1.8 million years ago)fireThreshold 6-Humans Human history-True humans(Homo sapiens)-250,000ya Paleolithic Era-hunter/gatherers-250,000 years ago Neolithic Era-agriculture(threshold 7)-10,000 years ago The Modern Revoluti
