Key Ideas

Think about the following questions as you watch the video

1. 01:35 Why does Christian say that humans are unsettled by the image of a scrambled egg unscrambling itself and returning to its shell?
2. 03:25 David Christian argues that despite a tendency toward simplicity, the Universe is able to create complexity. He calls the appearance of new forms of complexity threshold moments. How does he describe these moments? Bearing in mind your work over the course of the year, do you think the eight threshold moments he chooses make sense?
3. 03:42 Why does Christian argue that humans need to think about issues of simplicity and complexity?
4. 13:52 Why is language so important and what is collective learning? Bearing in mind what you have learned about humans in the course, do you agree with David about the importance of this idea?
5. 16:20 What are some of the challenges humans face by the end of the Big History story?
6. 16:32 What does David Christian say is the value of studying Big History? You are just about finished with the course—do you agree?