David walks the fine line between science and spirituality as he presents the fundamental mysteries of the universe. He tackles the mystery how the universe can create complexity despite the law of thermodynamics. He identifies six thresholds of complexity:
- The Big Bang happens
- Stars are born
- Stars die, creating temperatures hot enough to produce complex chemicals, to turn into rocks, asteroids, and planets
- Planets and solar systems form
- Biology appears on planets
- Humans and culture happen
Scientific laws cannot explain how these thresholds are reached. Each stage is magical because it creates the impression of something utterly new appearing almost out of nowhere in the universe.
Two comments: It is a spiritual principle that the formation of the physical universe happens in another universe/dimension. If the Big Bang is considered the beginning and not a threshold, we get five thresholds, which reminds us of the five subtle elements, ether, fire, water, air, and earth.
TED: Backed by stunning illustrations, David Christian narrates a complete history of the universe, from the Big Bang to the Internet, in a riveting 18 minutes. This is “Big History”: an enlightening, wide-angle look at complexity, life and humanity, set against our slim share of the cosmic timeline.