Monthly Subscription Starting at AED 99 + VAT
- Level Foundation
- Duration 12 hours
- Course by University of Amsterdam
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Offered by
About
Welcome to this Big History course! In this course, renowned scientists and scholars from the University of Amsterdam and beyond will take you on a journey from the Big Bang until today while addressing key questions in their fields. After completing this journey you will have developed a better understanding of how you and everything around you became the way they are today. You will also have gained an understanding of the underlying mechanisms that have helped shape the history of everything and how they wil help shape the future. Last but not least, you will have developed the skill to use this knowledge to put smaller subjects into a bigger perspective with the aid of the little big history approach, which can help you develop some new ideas on these smaller subjects.Modules
A First Exploration of Big History
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4
Videos
4
Videos
- How can we summarize 13.8 billion years in one brief course?
- How big is big history?
- What are little big histories?
- Can big history reunify all our knowledge?
Overview
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1
Readings
1
Readings
- A tour of cosmic history
The Early Universe
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4
Videos
4
Videos
- Why do we think big history started with a Big Bang?
- What are the elementary particles our universe is made of?
- What are the fundamental forces that determine how our universe behaves?
- Is our Standard Model of elementary particles and fundamental forces complete?
Stars and Our Solar System
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4
Videos
4
Videos
- Why are massive stars so important to us?
- How do stars die?
- What does our cosmic neighbourhood look like?
- Does our Solar System have a history?
Reflective Challenge
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1
Videos
1
Videos
- What is underlying all of big history?
Connections
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1
Readings
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1
PeerReview
1
Peer Review
- Practice little big history assignment 1
1
Readings
- Little Big History Example Connections
Quiz
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1
Assignment
1
Assignment
- Cosmic history
Overview
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1
Readings
1
Readings
- A tour of the history of Earth and life
Life and Evolution
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3
Videos
3
Videos
- How did life emerge on Earth?
- How did evolution lead to the incredible diversity of life we see around us?
- Why do species look the way they do and how are they all related?
The Co-Evolution of Earth and Life
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3
Videos
3
Videos
- How did life develop on the early Earth?
- What happened on our planet during mass extinctions?
- Why has our Earth cooled over the past millions of years?
Human Evolution
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3
Videos
3
Videos
- How can understanding the evolution of the brain help us understand human history?
- How did brain evolution lead to the development of our consciousness?
- Can we understand the evolution of our species without the aid of sexual selection?
Reflective Challenge
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1
Videos
1
Videos
- Can we develop a theory of the biosphere?
Quiz
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1
Assignment
1
Assignment
- The history of Earth and life
Connections
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1
Readings
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1
PeerReview
1
Peer Review
- Practice little big history assignment 2
1
Readings
- Little Big History Example Connections
Overview
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1
Readings
1
Readings
- A tour of human history
Villages, Cities, States
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5
Videos
5
Videos
- Why did people start to farm?
- Can big history tell us something new about the emergence of agriculture?
- What is the use of religion in the history of our species?
- Why did states, writing and state religion emerge together?
- How are civilizations influenced by climate change?
Globalization and Industrialisation
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5
Videos
5
Videos
- When did globalization begin and what did it mean to different people across the globe?
- How was life in Europe affected by early globalization?
- What made industrial production possible?
- What are the main consequences of the Industrial Revolution?
- What have been the consequences of the Industrial Revolution for our environment?
Informatization
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4
Videos
4
Videos
- How is our international financial system developing?
- How are financial institutions affecting society?
- How is artificial intelligence developing?
- How will artificial intelligence influence your future?
Reflective Challenge
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1
Videos
1
Videos
- Can we construct a theory of human history?
Quiz
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1
Assignment
1
Assignment
- Human history
Connections
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1
PeerReview
1
Peer Review
- Practice little big history assignment 3
The Future
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2
Videos
2
Videos
- What will the future of life, Earth and our universe look like?
- What can big history tell us about the short term future?
Little Big History Assignment
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1
PeerReview
1
Peer Review
- Final little big history assignment
Auto Summary
Embark on an enlightening journey with the "Big History - From the Big Bang until Today" course, offered by Coursera. Guided by experts from the University of Amsterdam, this foundational course explores the vast timeline from the Big Bang to the present, unraveling how everything came to be and what shapes our future. Spanning 720 minutes, it delves into scientific principles and historical context, equipping learners with a broad perspective on smaller subjects. Ideal for those keen on understanding the grand narrative of existence, subscription options include Starter and Professional plans.
Esther Quaedackers