Course Summary
Big History is an interdisciplinary study of history that integrates science, anthropology, and history. This course will take you on a journey through the history of the universe, from the Big Bang to the present day.Key Learning Points
- Gain a comprehensive understanding of the history of the universe
- Learn how to think critically about complex problems
- Develop interdisciplinary knowledge and skills
Job Positions & Salaries of people who have taken this course might have
- Science Writer
- USA: $51,000 - $93,000
- India: ₹5,00,000 - ₹25,00,000
- Spain: €25,000 - €50,000
- Historian
- USA: $41,000 - $96,000
- India: ₹3,00,000 - ₹20,00,000
- Spain: €24,000 - €48,000
- Anthropologist
- USA: $45,000 - $100,000
- India: ₹4,00,000 - ₹20,00,000
- Spain: €24,000 - €40,000
Related Topics for further study
Learning Outcomes
- Develop a deep understanding of the history of the universe
- Gain interdisciplinary knowledge and skills
- Learn how to think critically about complex problems
Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course
- No prior knowledge or experience required
- Open to learners of all levels
Course Difficulty Level
IntermediateCourse Format
- Online self-paced course
- Video lectures
- Quizzes and assignments
- Discussion forums
Similar Courses
- World History
- Introduction to Anthropology
- Introduction to Astronomy
Related Education Paths
Notable People in This Field
- Bill Gates
- Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Jared Diamond
Related Books
Description
We currently face unprecedented challenges on a global scale. These problems do not neatly fall into disciplines. They are complicated, complex, and connected. Join us on this epic journey of 13.8 billion years starting at the Big Bang and travelling through time all the way to the future. Discover the connections in our world, the power of collective learning, how our universe and our world has evolved from incredible simplicity to ever-increasing complexity. Experience our modern scientific origin story through Big History and discover the important links between past, current, and future events. You will find two different types of lectures. ‘Zooming In’ lectures from multiple specialists enable you to understand key concepts through the lens of different disciplines, whilst David Christian's ‘Big History Framework’ lectures provide the connective overview for a journey through eight thresholds of Big History.
Outline
- Big History, Critical Thinking, & Transdisciplinarity
- BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - What is Big History?
- ZOOMING IN: Richard Menary - What is the relationship between historical & scientific explanation?
- ZOOMING IN: Jenny Duke-Yonge - How do we decide what to believe?
- BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - How did our Universe get more complex?
- BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Baker - Big History, Critical Thinking, & Transdisciplinarity
- Resources
- Glossary
- How This Course Works
- The Big History Forums
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD: David Baker - Starting Out
- Big History, Critical Thinking, Transdisciplinarity
- Claim Testers
- The Universe, Stars, and Planets
- Mind-Expanding, not Head-Exploding
- ZOOMING IN: Quentin Parker - What is the observable evidence for the Big Bang?
- ZOOMING IN: Quentin Parker - How do we know how stars form?
- ZOOMING IN: Ian Jamie - Where did the elements come from?
- ZOOMING IN: Ian Jamie - What is the periodic table?
- BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - Why is Threshold 4 significant?
- ZOOMING IN: Craig O'Neill - How did the solar system form?
- ZOOMING IN: Dick Flood - What is our Earth's history and how do we know it?
- BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Baker - The Universe, Stars, & Planets
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD: David Baker - From the Inanimate Universe to Life
- The Universe, Stars, and Planets
- Claim Testers
- The Evolutionary Epic
- BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - Why is Threshold 5 important?
- ZOOMING IN: Michael Gillings - Where did life come from?
- ZOOMING IN: Simon George - How do we get dates for Earth's history?
- ZOOMING IN: Michael Gillings - How does evolution work?
- ZOOMING IN: Glenn Brock - How do palaeontologists study the history of life?
- BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - Why is Threshold 6 important?
- ZOOMING IN: Greg Downey - Why did our ancestors evolve such unusual abilities?
- BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Baker - The Evolutionary Epic
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD: David Baker - The "Two Cultures" Meet
- The Evolutionary Epic
- Claim Testers
- Human History
- ZOOMING IN: Yann Tristant - How did people live in the Palaeolithic?
- BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - Why is Threshold 7 important?
- ZOOMING IN: Susanne Binder - Where did writing come from?
- CASE STUDY: Susanne Binder - Reading Hieroglyphs
- ZOOMING IN: Peter Edwell - What were the Silk Roads?
- BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - What were the main changes in agrarian civilizations?
- BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Baker - Human History
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Glossary
- LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD: David Baker - Collective Learning's "Snowball Effect"
- Human History
- Claim Testers
- Modernity
- ZOOMING IN: Kate Fullagar - What was the Industrial Revolution?
- ZOOMING IN: Mark Hearn - How did Modernity evolve after the Industrial Revolution?
- ZOOMING IN: Stephanie Lawson - How far can globalization go?
- ZOOMING IN: Wylie Bradford - Why is the world economy so integrated?
- BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - Why is Threshold 8 important?
- BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Baker - Modernity
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD: David Baker - Onward to Threshold 9
- Modernity
- Claim Testers
- The Future
- BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - What might Threshold 9 be?
- ZOOMING IN: Lesley Hughes - How is our climate changing and what does this mean for our future?
- ZOOMING IN: Quentin Parker - Why is the future of the Universe easier to study than the future of humanity?
- BIG HISTORY FRAMEWORK: David Christian - What have we learned from the Big History story?
- Resources
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Resources
- Timeline
- Glossary
- Course Contributors
- The Future
- Claim Testers
Summary of User Reviews
Read reviews on the Big History course on Coursera. Experts in the field of history have given this course a high rating for its engaging and informative content. One key aspect that many users appreciated was the course's comprehensive approach to history, which covers everything from the Big Bang to modern-day events.Pros from User Reviews
- Engaging and informative content that covers world history from the Big Bang to modern-day events
- Provides a comprehensive understanding of how events in history are interconnected
- Taught by knowledgeable and engaging instructors
- Course materials are well-organized and easy to navigate
- Offers a certificate of completion for those who finish the course
Cons from User Reviews
- Some users found the course to be too broad and not in-depth enough on certain topics
- Requires a significant time commitment to complete all the course materials
- Some users found the quizzes to be too easy and not challenging enough
- Limited interaction with instructors and other students
- Some users found the course to be too theoretical and not practical enough
David Christian
4.8 Raiting
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