Thresholds of Complexity
The first threshold of Big History, which took place 13.8 billion years ago
What is the Big Bang?
The approximate age of the universe in billions of years.
What is 13.8 billion years?
Using one's own gut feeling or internal belief to evaluate a statement.
What is Intuition?
These are formed by the death of stars, creating heavier elements
What are stars/new chemical elements?
The technique of zooming in and out on historical events to see the big picture or tiny details.
What is Scale Switching?
Trusting a source, such as a teacher or textbook, to provide accurate information.
What is Authority?
The sixth threshold, which occurred roughly 10,000 to 11,000 years ago, allowed humans to settle down.
What is Agriculture?
The number of years it would take for a human to count to one billion, one number per second.
What is 32 years?
Using a formal, structured argument to check if a claim makes sense
What is Logic?
The threshold that involved the harnessing of fossil fuels and the beginning of rapid, exponential change.
What is the Modern Revolution?
The "unit" of time that makes up the vast majority of the universe's 13.8 billion-year existence.
What is cosmic time / cosmic scale?
Relying on tangible proof, such as fossils or data
What is Evidence?
The fundamental concept describing how the universe becomes more structured, requiring specific "Goldilocks Conditions".
What is Increasing Complexity?
The concept that explains how the Earth and humanity are a tiny, recent part of a much larger story.
What is Cosmic Calendar/Perspective?
The Four Claim Testers, used to evaluate these, which are statements that may or may not be true.
What are Claims?