History of the World in Two Hours (Documentary, 2012)
I thought this was a darn good documentary which managed to shrink 13.7 billion years of existence of the universe to 2 hours. It managed to compress astronomy and join up all the loose ends that join human civilisation into big solved jigsaw puzzle. It also shows us how everything is interconnected. Of course all this may not make any sense to those who accept the notion that God created the universe in 6 days and rested on the 7th.
First there was nothing. Within a fraction of a second, a big explosion happened giving all the energy that universe needs even until today. Then the stars exploded giving rise to supernovas with heavy elements that the universe needed.
4.6 million years ago, with the aid of gravity and elements from supernova, Earth is formed. This infant planet is indeed a living hell with molten magma and intense heat, rotating in its axis in a wobbly fashion once every 6 hours. Then comes a massive collision with an asteroid of the size of Mars. The debris from this collision coalesce to form the Moon. The Moon had a pacifying effect on Earth. Earth tilts on its axis, creating seasons and its rotation slows, making a 24 hour day. Heat reduces. Water vapour condenses to form rain. Streams, lakes and oceans started appearing. Only 2.5 billion years ago, elements bound to form the first DNA. Bacteria starts using energy from the Sun to produce oxygen. Oxygen fills the oceans and fills the air. Some bacteria learn to live on oxygen. Oxygen rusts the iron in Earth's core to produce lands. Oxygen in atmosphere is 13% 550 million years ago. With oxygen comes ozone, further cooling the planet. Skies are blue, so are the oceans. Continents appear. Plants move from water to land.
The Cambrian explosion appears. These oxygen breathing bacterias increase in size, slowly evolving to fish to amphibians. The first amphibian goes up to land 400 million years ago. The dependance on water to lay eggs evolved them to reptiles which lay eggs with hard shell which can be laid far from water. Reptiles roam the land.
250 million ago, the Cambrian explosion disappears with the Permian extinction after a catastrophe. Like that it undergoes many wiping off of species again and again. During the dinosaur era, hard wood forest appear. Pangea, the land mass on Earth separates to give rise to Old and New World.
Mammals started living on the edge living on dinosaur eggs etcetera. Another asteroid collision sends dust clouds plummeting the planet's temperature. Dinosaurs perish and mammals take over dominance.
Mountains like Himalaya appear. The Panama peninsular appears, changing sea pattern. Earth cools down. Ice bridges form between continents.
7 million years ago, grass appears. Primates starts coming down to seek food as the threat from dinosaurs is gone. Trees become sparse. They evolve to have an erect posture and develop complex hand functions. Silicon starts Stone Age, the first technological innovation. Men learn to control fire. Nature provides the fuel (tree). Fire made cooking possible, an external stomach to gain more nutrients. Brain grows bigger and Man become smarter. Man learn to vocalise. Information can be sent to each other. Resources can be maximised. They soon migrate from their African ancestral savannah home through the land bridge built during ice age to other continents. They colonise and adopt to their new found home. A giant step forward - intellectual symbolic thought of drawing is learnt.
As Earth warms up, glaciers melt and form giants lakes and river (Lake Victoria and River Nile; Tigris and Euphrates in Mesoptamia; Indus; Hwang Ho and Yangtze). These fertile soils allow nomadic Man to stop and live in communities. As population grew and more mouth to feed, the same grass species that moved primates down from trees saves the day. Cousins of grass family - cereals (wheat, rye) feed the masses.
Development varies from site to site with the Middle East being more advanced in power with its domesticated animals and fertile soil. Places like Sahara plains and the Americas lagged due to lack of species of animals.
I thought this was a darn good documentary which managed to shrink 13.7 billion years of existence of the universe to 2 hours. It managed to compress astronomy and join up all the loose ends that join human civilisation into big solved jigsaw puzzle. It also shows us how everything is interconnected. Of course all this may not make any sense to those who accept the notion that God created the universe in 6 days and rested on the 7th.First there was nothing. Within a fraction of a second, a big explosion happened giving all the energy that universe needs even until today. Then the stars exploded giving rise to supernovas with heavy elements that the universe needed.
4.6 million years ago, with the aid of gravity and elements from supernova, Earth is formed. This infant planet is indeed a living hell with molten magma and intense heat, rotating in its axis in a wobbly fashion once every 6 hours. Then comes a massive collision with an asteroid of the size of Mars. The debris from this collision coalesce to form the Moon. The Moon had a pacifying effect on Earth. Earth tilts on its axis, creating seasons and its rotation slows, making a 24 hour day. Heat reduces. Water vapour condenses to form rain. Streams, lakes and oceans started appearing. Only 2.5 billion years ago, elements bound to form the first DNA. Bacteria starts using energy from the Sun to produce oxygen. Oxygen fills the oceans and fills the air. Some bacteria learn to live on oxygen. Oxygen rusts the iron in Earth's core to produce lands. Oxygen in atmosphere is 13% 550 million years ago. With oxygen comes ozone, further cooling the planet. Skies are blue, so are the oceans. Continents appear. Plants move from water to land.
The Cambrian explosion appears. These oxygen breathing bacterias increase in size, slowly evolving to fish to amphibians. The first amphibian goes up to land 400 million years ago. The dependance on water to lay eggs evolved them to reptiles which lay eggs with hard shell which can be laid far from water. Reptiles roam the land.
250 million ago, the Cambrian explosion disappears with the Permian extinction after a catastrophe. Like that it undergoes many wiping off of species again and again. During the dinosaur era, hard wood forest appear. Pangea, the land mass on Earth separates to give rise to Old and New World.
Mammals started living on the edge living on dinosaur eggs etcetera. Another asteroid collision sends dust clouds plummeting the planet's temperature. Dinosaurs perish and mammals take over dominance.
Mountains like Himalaya appear. The Panama peninsular appears, changing sea pattern. Earth cools down. Ice bridges form between continents.
7 million years ago, grass appears. Primates starts coming down to seek food as the threat from dinosaurs is gone. Trees become sparse. They evolve to have an erect posture and develop complex hand functions. Silicon starts Stone Age, the first technological innovation. Men learn to control fire. Nature provides the fuel (tree). Fire made cooking possible, an external stomach to gain more nutrients. Brain grows bigger and Man become smarter. Man learn to vocalise. Information can be sent to each other. Resources can be maximised. They soon migrate from their African ancestral savannah home through the land bridge built during ice age to other continents. They colonise and adopt to their new found home. A giant step forward - intellectual symbolic thought of drawing is learnt.
As Earth warms up, glaciers melt and form giants lakes and river (Lake Victoria and River Nile; Tigris and Euphrates in Mesoptamia; Indus; Hwang Ho and Yangtze). These fertile soils allow nomadic Man to stop and live in communities. As population grew and more mouth to feed, the same grass species that moved primates down from trees saves the day. Cousins of grass family - cereals (wheat, rye) feed the masses.Development varies from site to site with the Middle East being more advanced in power with its domesticated animals and fertile soil. Places like Sahara plains and the Americas lagged due to lack of species of animals.
Horses played an important role in civilisation of Man. Ancient horses emerged before Ice Age in North American but disappeared later only to be found in Central Asia. They were domesticated to be used for work and war. Horses come to the Americas after Christopher Columbus brought them there later.
Township develop. Crops are king. To keep track of them, Man needed writing, to guard them army, to administer politicians.
Donkeys help us in trade to bring our produce in caravan highways. Inter-civilization dialogues starts taking root. Trade becomes power. Monument are erected. Bitumen is used for building. Petroleum is discovered but its use was not appreciated till modern times. The Sumerians introduce the 12 number counting system still used in keeping our time. Wheel invention leads to chariots and war. For weapons, Man discover iron and so begin the Iron Age. And Empire are built and starts new beliefs in monoetheism.
Silk Road is soon discovered. Trade and cultural exchanges also bring disease epidemics. Religion spreads unifying people. Arabs with their camel caravans open many cities, counting system, brought food and Chinese technology like paper and gunpowder to the West. The West perfected gun powder and weapons.
Many Empires break down. Columbus is a global citizen using Arab technology of sail, Chinese compass technology to bridge both worlds. The West becomes so powerful with their loot of gold and silver. New food stuffs are introduced to the world, maize, potato and sugar. Sugar (another grass) became an addictive substance to Man. To work the fields, slaves are brought in from Africa.
Just as human capacity thought to be stretched to the limit, Industrial Revolution starts. Trains and cars roll in. It propels Man to yearn for more power; politics a well as energy. Electricity becomes indispensable. Population explodes, so do wars.
We dominate Earth and have managed to utilise the energy that was created by Big bang and the elements of supernova. And the story continues....
Many of the prehistoric theories proposed here do ring a bell and a distinct sense of deja vu. I think it is written in old Hindu scriptures (?myths).
Township develop. Crops are king. To keep track of them, Man needed writing, to guard them army, to administer politicians.
Donkeys help us in trade to bring our produce in caravan highways. Inter-civilization dialogues starts taking root. Trade becomes power. Monument are erected. Bitumen is used for building. Petroleum is discovered but its use was not appreciated till modern times. The Sumerians introduce the 12 number counting system still used in keeping our time. Wheel invention leads to chariots and war. For weapons, Man discover iron and so begin the Iron Age. And Empire are built and starts new beliefs in monoetheism.
Silk Road is soon discovered. Trade and cultural exchanges also bring disease epidemics. Religion spreads unifying people. Arabs with their camel caravans open many cities, counting system, brought food and Chinese technology like paper and gunpowder to the West. The West perfected gun powder and weapons.
Many Empires break down. Columbus is a global citizen using Arab technology of sail, Chinese compass technology to bridge both worlds. The West becomes so powerful with their loot of gold and silver. New food stuffs are introduced to the world, maize, potato and sugar. Sugar (another grass) became an addictive substance to Man. To work the fields, slaves are brought in from Africa.
Just as human capacity thought to be stretched to the limit, Industrial Revolution starts. Trains and cars roll in. It propels Man to yearn for more power; politics a well as energy. Electricity becomes indispensable. Population explodes, so do wars.
We dominate Earth and have managed to utilise the energy that was created by Big bang and the elements of supernova. And the story continues....
Many of the prehistoric theories proposed here do ring a bell and a distinct sense of deja vu. I think it is written in old Hindu scriptures (?myths).
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