Fred Spier

Big History and the Future of Humanity (eBook, ePUB)

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

big history and the future of humanity "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.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: John Wiley & Sons
• Seitenzahl: 360
• Erscheinungstermin: 4. März 2015
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781118881712
• Artikelnr.: 42513969

Autorenporträt

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.

Inhaltsangabe

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 Exhaustion of Critical Resources and
Growing Entropy 309 Will Humans Migrate to Other Planets? 311 Final Words
313 Index 318