The history of our world in 18 minutes | David Christian | TED

Visit TED.com to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.
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.
The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You're welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know.
Follow TED on Twitter: / tedtalks
Like TED on Facebook: / ted
Subscribe to our channel: / ted
TED's videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (or the CC BY - NC - ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (www.ted.com/about/our-organiz.... For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at media-requests.ted.com

[@historicwine1283]

Dude was my professor. He change the way I think about human nature and I somehow ended up studying linguistics and computer science as a result. Great teacher.

[@kenster1682]

Yeah, he was my professor too. He failed me and I was expelled from school. Then I had to work at McDonald's. One day both my arms fell into the fry bin. Now I can even work at McDonald's! I have to type this out with my nose. Thanks professor.

[@adrianwright8685]

Can't (=cannot)

[@lorrainecouch348]

ANALYSE THIS IN YOUR ANALYTICAL CRITICAL THINKING: MESSAGE TO THE AGENDA!!! STOP BEAMING MICHAEL J FOX... OR ELSE!!!! SAY NO TO BEAMED2FVCK SYNDROME NOW!!!

[@Yuedian]

Diss red😮 green green uxr😂y 😂

[@rashmirajsonal8971]

We don't afford these proffesors lecture,,,,, just bcz yutube we can hear it a little... so thank u...

[@mikell.6064]

I looked away for a second and I missed 2 billion years

[@camusminor]

Bravo bhaha

[@okfanriffic3632]

***** approximately. Error bars would help if you want to be taken seriously.

[@okfanriffic3632]

***** approximately. Error bars would help if you want to be taken seriously.

[@SloveintzWend]

Mike Llerena Amazing how time flies by

[@mikell.6064]

you made a valid point mentioning the proper amount of time

[@ankushalgudkar1646]

One of the most brilliant talks I have ever experienced, very inspiring. I remember reading these chapters and as a kid, with the DK, Britannica, and so many encyclopedias which visualized science, nature, technology so beautifully. It inspired me to become an engineer and build these great things. Cut to being 26 years also and being very lost. Feels great to just come back to this and again feel uplifted.

[@WCMOFFICIAL_]

Wow! This video was AMAZING! Especially considering that it’s 11 years old looking where we are today in “Collective Learning “! It was worth every second!!!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@SuperManning11]

Now it’s 2020 and it seems very obvious that we have not learned to appreciate just how precarious our existence actually is.

[@Stevewatson3]

Or we have forgotten!

[@SuperManning11]

steven oliver That’s probably more accurate

[@MrLeagna]

Share what we learned that will be the day

[@alanabush555]

@Douglas Bull >> Einstein's comment. But I prefer another of his: "You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it."

[@kevinforlife8578]

@Douglas Bull It's called a strong delusion and it is described in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 11. I highly recommend you read the chapter in its entirety. Blessings to you!

[@williamaeoni7896]

All the chaos and complexity in the universe and now I'm just here eating cookies and watching youtube. What a crazy world.

[@Psycho666Pro]

hahah

[@sakethdadigela649]

lol

[@jondunmore4268]

You are the pinnacle of evolution, William.

[@TheLisavadis]

Couldn’t make it up if you tried!

[@jdaddyco]

I was literally reaching into a bag of Chips Ahoy! when i read this comment! Freaky.

[@queendeej463]

In the advent of chaos and confusion this world is becoming- here is a great reminder on the importance of sticking to our core. To be human and learning from our history; to be progressive and never stop learning; to collectively learning and inspire other; and not to be very resistant to changes.

[@juliasullivan6225]

I had the privilege of taking David Christian's class on Big History at Macquarie University in Australia. It is without exception the best class I ever took.

[@Esico6]

Its terrible and science unworthy. He explains things with: ‘because of magic’.

[@kathrynalbany187]

Me too!! So good.

[@exclusiveMusicAlbums]

I just wonder what specie is going to dominate earth after we destroy ourselves

[@beshooketh9333]

@@Esico6 why don't you choose to believe in magic?

[@greglyne5362]

If you watch this exceptionally insightful ted talk and then read this comment section, you will instantly loose some of your newfound hope in humanity.

[@williamd8458]

loose it, eh?

[@greglyne5362]

Wil Dip oh sorry, I’ll loose it

[@isbestlizard]

@@greglyne5362 its looose it you idiot you have to add the extra o to make it an ooo sound :V

[@tjimler3188]

lose hope in people like you

[@RobertJohnson-lc5bj]

Loosers

[@SDREPINS7]

I don't know what is more amazing, learning this or learning how to hold your breath for 17mins from David Blaine..... that could be, in itself reason for its own debate.

[@beactivebehappy9894]

I have been postponing this video since so long and KZbin kept recommending it. And now after 10 minutes of listening to him I think I have heard him in some documentaries as voice over.

[@preetisharan7699]

Absolutely fantastic Ted, could not take myself away from the screen for a sec!

[@snipergrenade]

People fighting over the "creation of the universe", instead of focusing on how fragile we are, the lessons we can learn from big history, and what we should do to overcome the challenges ahead of us as a species. What a way to completely miss the point of the presentation.

[@lindawestbrook2066]

sniper grenade yes, there are many hardcore nuts in USA.

[@azazel166]

sniper grenade Because people are idiots!

[@BrandonOsborn404]

Linda Westbrook In the Middle East. c. 855 CE, caliph al-Mutawakkil slaughtered the Arab intelligencia and, pretty much single-handedly ended the Arabic golden age. Islam has contributed almost nothing to science since that time. All fundamentalist religions are responsible for retarding our development.

[@imjustrynagetlost]

Scary how minds of beings similar to you and I are being ruled by a tithe of emotions. Big history = big history.

[@danielvochescu6991]

Why ?

[@arielvinda6624]

You gotta love the subtlety of the camera editing. In the exact moment where he says "which explain why you and I are smaller than..." they select the shot where the people look colossally smaller than the place they are, giving the whole message an impressive weight to the point he is demonstrating... perhaps involuntary, but still beautifull

[@chrismanley7491]

This is a fantastic video. I was watching some other video and right after it ended this one started and I had no interest in watching to so it was going to be background noise while I played a game on my phone...then slowly my interest started to grow. So glad I decided to watch this because I personally learned a good amount from what David was saying then I started learning more than what he was even talking about. At the end of his speech he said his reasons for being there was to teach the future generations (and I assume generations here now) and I must say, he couldn't have bullseye any harder lol. Amazing job *Clap clap clap*

[@ananyaimtiazhussain6816]

His eyes speak! Such a wonderful presentation!

[@BenjaminRamage]

Fantastic TED talk. I love it. A beautiful ode to complexity.

[@chandanaliyanapatabendy6562]

This presentation opened me up to a whole new world of big history ... thank you TedTalk and KZbin

[@oggyreidmore]

I kept waiting for the part with "THE SUN - IS A DEADLY LAZER!"...but it never came :(

[@richardyoung1398]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@udoyonb274]

Give it 5 billion years more

[@CreeperDude567]

Dang mate/bro, you have 69 likes...... be proud of yourself

[@mariecool6567]

Lolololollllll

[@arjrocks]

Yoooo is this a reference to that video I can vaguely recall. I gotta go search for that now!

[@harrydaplatypus361]

This is hands-down admittedly the best TED Talk I've ever seen

[@infavorofdemocracy5770]

His enthusiasm is so inspiring

[@hifabiola]

i love how this man loves the story he tells, so passionate!

[@sabeshkc7452]

He is waste fello

[@jifa17]

You are so pretty, honey.

[@ninopavkovic9382]

His speech is just a theory. In fact there are more dimensions. Please read the work of the Noble price winner in physics, Richard Feynman.

[@AnaArabiSajel]

A lot of theories communicated like if they were absolute truth.

[@vickybantug6718]

So passionately delusional that he believes himself

[@mralwyngeorge]

I am a graduate in Mechanical Engineering. But only now I got a sensible comprehension of what entropy is all about. Entropy always created a huge intellectual barrier during my academic studies.

[@eithkobbsh1094]

What did you learn ?

[@augustobu3no]

Amazing initiative to create such a vital open knowledge source like the Big History Project. Thank you for your contribution to a better world! We need to use todays technology reach to increase the access to information like that, so we can improve our collective learning!

[@TariqKhan-xt5qs]

This talk was beautiful, it was so informative, so mind blowing. I remember why I loved science and astronomy as a kid. I forgot, i kind of lost my way for a while, but now at 23 i am starting to remember that love of science that i always had.

[@curious_one1156]

Do you have great cousins?

[@marcosbonetti11]

Dear brother, you didn't lose your way :) Since puberty, till our frontal lobe finishes Its development (around your age, more or less), we all face one storm after the other inside our beings. Latch on into your love of science. If you become a scientist, great! If you don't, no problem. Even being a "regular" piece in today's society machine, staying in touch with science has the potential of expanding your consciousness and raising your awareness at a level that your ideas, choices, and behavior change. And this is how the world changes. Peace

[@matthewhorizon6050]

Tariq Khan, youre only 23, you havent developed "a way" to lose yet.

[@theultrawarrior7448]

Modern science is just recycled ancient science. Look into to the Sumerians (first civilization), how they explain how they learned science... Ancient Kemet, Holy Scriptures that introduce a lot of scientific facts first. Be blessed

[@priyanshu3182]

A good teacher in the early days of a human can make him fall in love with any subject and it stays for the rest of ur life just like u never stop loving ur first girlfriend

[@writersblock26]

Thank you for posting this, TED.

[@GimbalosMorkinar]

Jonathan Michael Thank you. But I did not post this and my name is not Ted.

[@Rachel1Simoni]

TED stands for Technology Entertainment and Design

[@stephenvia9911]

Jonathan Michael nm.

[@DjStarFighter]

Jonathan ”Michael

[@Teresahorner]

Dope Fiend. No its not means hes real and not a fake bot

[@peterf90]

Great talk. I always have a hard time remembering the time frames of the various epochs but I always like the three billion or so one where all life is single celled, it seems really cool that it took that long to form multicellular organisms and then in just a short eight hundred million years here we are.

[@ianrhodes9289]

⁰

[@augustinekt9304]

Then God said, "Let there be light": and there was light.

[@tryingtobefairandobjective3480]

@@augustinekt9304 You are a glowing example of the idiocy of organized religion.

[@anirprasadd]

EXTRAORDINARY!! Perhaps the best Ted talk I've ever seen. Very profound and enlightening

[@VictorWLogan]

Concise and yet excellent talk, Mr. David Christian. I thank you...

[@alexr1587]

Is he crazy or what??? No, I mean he IS a deranged lunatic. Read the Bible, stupid. Go to YOUR roots, David, go to your surname heritage.

[@raduantoniu]

This is one of the best TED talks I've seen so far!

[@omaxman1]

Here is the rebuttal of it, you might enjoy it too kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpOVda1-gbqZrcU

[@pajeetsingh]

Are you the guy with fitness channel?

[@muddypool7537]

Yet he missed the point that complexity is due to the presence of sentient life. Remove life altogether and there's nothing to resist the influence of the second law of thermodynamics. Trust a scientist to make it more complicated that it really is.

[@englishlife5838]

i disagree

[@mingonmongo1]

@@muddypool7537 Then somehow you missed his whole point, which was the emergence of complexity via the appearance of Life and 'transmitted' information, and just how _fragile_ the conditions are for it to exist in the first place.

[@arnabmallik7978]

Such a powerful oration . 17 minutes of pure genius.

[@inbetween8210]

Or madness

[@activefitgym1046]

Fantastic! Thank you 🙏 A pleasure to listen to and watch. Well done.

[@ChrisTopheRaz]

Extraordinary way of building up to a very good point. I hope we can find ourselves continually perpetuating in such a volatile time.

[@killme6929]

What’s truly extraordinary is that nothing created something that is so complex that man can’t replicate it and to top it all off it’s all random, or meaningless.

[@leighannexgases5322]

His voice makes even talking about eggs so interesting. Bravo!

[@killme6929]

He never did tell us which came first, the chicken or the egg?

[@rudistade3331]

It's his accent, just like David Attenborough's

[@sara9181]

@@killme6929 eggs 😂😂

[@pankajtiwari1736]

You are one of the best story teller I have seen in youtube!

[@s.j4606]

So beautiful. Thank you professor 🙏

[@peterweltweit]

Imagine, learning this by heart and making it a street act.

[@aWomanFreed]

That's already what it is....an act

[@GoGo-qo2eq]

Seriously.

[@antonycasanova4067]

So stupid! So dumb! So a BIG lies!

[@verasimpsons2959]

*Only 18+* 👇👇👇 🔞 11768138.sexygirlsx.ru

[@andrewnovion5634]

Then you'd be a plagiarizing busker. At least you would be helping spread information. You could also give credit where credit is due... at the end...?

[@shambles5345]

Get over these petty arguments about who knows best and listen to the LESSONS IN THIS STORY: 1: Complexity arose from simplicity (You can argue all you want about how you believe this happened) 2: Complexity is vulnerable in a universe ruled by entropy 3: We are complex beings in a very complex world and this makes us extremely fragile. If we refuse to acknowledge and respect this vulnerability, complexity will break down. 4: We must use the powerful tool of collective learning - not to exploit the complexity of our world but to preserve it.

[@kunkker77]

*launch the nukes*

[@discflame]

And such is the human way.

[@DomenicoMigliorini]

Indeed I'm not sure I'd like to support the next step of acquired complexity in the body of a unified, highly complex collective intelligence where humans are the bricks of it. I rather see such an evolved entity emerging from interconnected pure information elaborators... Humans were fit to create the conditions, now others will take over. A great catastrophe like the Yucatan asteroid may stimulate this process. Obviously as a dinosaur wouldn't love to see itself becoming a bird for the sake of human evolution, we may not desire to see nukes triggering the development of a higher level of complexity. But the question is: is that a law inscribed in the physics as the second principle? Is that somehow probable that complexity should arise (with low frequency of course) in the universe ? On Earth this may not happen but can we imagine that this events as infrequent as they are somewhere will necessary occur ? Yeah "lunch the bomb, exterminate them all" to favour inscribed evolution... May be!

[@Dollars77]

Not sure how sincere your reply is, but it comes across as very dower and somewhat defeated. Humans have a great vulnerability but we also have the capacity for miraculous achievements. Science says we are but a step along the journey of evolution, faith says that evolution is worth heading towards.Even though society today seems completely backward, don't blind yourself to the fact that recently more and more people are speaking up and out about how we move forward. Let's save the nukes until that complexity doesn't require use to erased as part of the process.

[@jaronduke3201]

that may be the best reply ive ever read to any video ever

[@venicementor2068]

PURE GENIUS. THANK YOU ROBERT Q. RILEY (R.I.P.) FOR YOUR BRILLIANT SUGGESTION.

[@MilDarkAngel]

I used this class for my final exam as an interpreter and I can't believe how deep it touched my soul!! Mindblowing!

Wow! How did it go? I am sincerely asking as a freshman of translation and interpreting studies :D

[@Esico6]

Its terrible and science unworthy. He explains things with: ‘because of magic’.

[@John-qo9hw]

@@Esico6 like religion right?

[@austink641]

I haven’t heard this concept described as “big history,” but it’s an appropriate name. What has always amazed me about “big history” is how such a chaotic processes developed such complex wonders as life and the human brain, and inspired those curious creatures to not only ask “how,” but “why.”

[@classicrocklover5615]

And that it all supposedly happened, perfectly, by chance. That Life was not intentional, but rather a cosmic fluke...

[@aWomanFreed]

@@classicrocklover5615 exactly. Love how he flies right past the most important point......that all this unbelievable complexity came from nothing at all.....and how many of the ppl watching are so enamored by his presentation they don't even notice he's completely full of bs

[@bobs182]

@@classicrocklover5615 The universe is neither perfect nor by pure chance. Randomness requires determinism as they are 2 sides of the same coin. If you think your mind/thinking is separate from your brain, you may think that action in the world is separate from its' object.

[@shobhamohan5614]

Read Bible, you'll understand everything. Jesus is Coming Soon

[@erickenriquez8039]

I encourage you to look at conway’s game of life and consider these questions!

[@benjamingrant2642]

nicely conceptualized. You've made a wonderful picture in my mind.

[@stevemcelmury4618]

This man is a guru, and a heckuva great teacher! I'm uplifted & inspired... thanks, TED. 😃

[@pcychua8691]

6

[@adamnasser8707]

A marvellous presentation!! One of the best Ted Talks ever. Bravo!!

[@raghavendraj3758]

Thank you for given valuable information for us beautiful speech inspiration from your side globally and thank you Sir...

[@momentary_]

This comments section though. So many religious people seem to disagree with this guy even though he didn't develop any of the science in this video. He is just sharing established science with us.

[@momentary_]

Arben P. Susaj Nothing in science is proven except for mathematical proofs. Everything else in science is theory. Light is a theory. Atoms are theory. Gravity is a theory. Thermodynamics is theory. Everything in science other than math proofs can be proven wrong at any time if the right evidence is found.

[@gamesbok]

sexyloser You seem to have a little confusion about scientific method. Theories are inductive, and can only be provisionally right. See Hume's comments on induction, and the fact that we are unsure about basic assumptions. Falsification, the disproof of theories, is not inductive, it's deductive, and is as sure as mathematics.

[@momentary_]

gamesbok Yes, we can and have proven things to be wrong in science. We can never prove what is right in science, unless it is a mathematical proof.

[@FilmBuffBros]

sexyloser Young theories, contentious amongst the scientific community and academia, are "established science" ?... It's funny how some people crave certainty about concepts beyond their understanding. PS: I'm not religious at all, but I disagree with you. #DFTBA

[@momentary_]

Alex Delarge Being established science does not mean it is certain. It means it is the best supported theory that we currently have. Like I said, nothing is certain in science except math and what has been proven wrong.

[@subramaniampaulraj764]

Superb! Very useful information and right advise for future generation

[@kajesimpson126]

Can we talk about the fact that his PowerPoint was a threshold in human complexity. Brilliant!

[@prakashkishorehazam2702]

Eye opener ... Thank you sir

[@tgunersel]

Thank you so much. Big History is a vital area to increase consciousness for global cooperation.

[@videorable]

Fantastic! Big history needs to be taught in every shcool, but more importantly in every family. Thank you David Christian!

[@nelsonwayne6997]

Hello Randy 👋👋 How are you doing and how's the weather condition over there ??

[@alexr1587]

Is he crazy or what??? No, I mean he IS a deranged lunatic. Read the Bible, stupid. Go to YOUR roots, David, go to your surname heritage.

[@missworldtamil2720]

This is truely an amazing video!! WOW!!

[@annabenson1963]

"The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you" - NDT

[@rwatson2609]

Actually it is under obligation to do so. The Universe is based on the laws of physics and therefore must follow a line of reasoning that considers all aspects of science. This explanation failed that line of reasoning every time the author claims something happened that can't possibly be reproduced in a lab, which, in all vagueness is most of it.

[@bobboone9015]

OneShot AtLyf bless u

[@reesetorwad8346]

@Ron "Actually it is under obligation..." No. It's not, and that sentence doesn't even make sense. "The Universe is based on the laws of physics..." No. It's not. The "laws" you speak of are based on observation of the Universe, it's not the other way around. And they aren't even really laws, they're just finely honed predictions. That CAN fail, and then...get improved. To be even more clear, I'm not correcting you because I think you're stupid, it's because you are either deluded by some cult...or dishonest. Because there are people who profit from deluding others. Naturally, any scientist would be seen as an "enemy" by such people.

[@bobboone9015]

Reese Torwad u right

[@simonferrier88]

Then why did you watch this????

[@jimgreen5995]

I just watched this in May of 2019 and I am just blown away by this presentation! Once again, Thank you, TED! And, Dare I forget, Thank you, David Christian...I pray your grandson is well!

[@eazy-h8138]

same here, and I am blown away that this only has 4.5M views not 4.5B if only the rest of the world would take interest and pride in the history of the universe. I do believe that we will soon push the planet to far to a "threshold" as David said, and it will change its own conditions to make it unlivable for the human race ;(

[@kenmorris7354]

This Isn’t possible, in you’re very beginning illustration you clearly demonstrated cannot get order out of chaos here it is impossible!

[@sillybearss]

It's amazing how even when the universe tends to go to a state of chaos, there are these perfect small conditions for there to be complexities, and those complexities multiply exponentially. The universe is indeed so grand yet so fragile.

[@rootsgrassusa]

you gotta have a lot of faith to believe this

[@arunkul6889]

great ability of speakar to explain in simple way about our history,thanks

[@adiconstantin4598]

I love this expose, with many thanks! Little after 13:15, he could just mention (as means of enhancing the spread of knowledge and information), these: - the writing, with alphabets, - philosophy, - (then the cursive handwriting invented by Charlesmagne emperor), - then the books printing, invented by Guttenberg, - before computers and the net

[@distrachan2671]

Love the Goldilocks moment concept. Love the Threshold moment and how we are vulnerable when we are in it concept. So good to be aware of how change happens and what to expect.

[@teresagomesdasilva8163]

best Ted Talk i've seen. Amazing presentation

[@santubanik633]

One of the greatest talks I have ever heard, would still have my concentration if it were a bit longer..

[@monicaaiken9746]

I like that: “complexity means vulnerability and fragility”. I’d very much like to hear the rest of this, at some point! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@artconnolly9519]

This was a pleasure to watch. Great talk

[@presa609]

In Spanish there is a slang term roughly pronounced "tokayo" it means person of the same name. I got to meet my tokayo at the end of the video. Cool.

[@threellyai6893]

A bookmarks for youtube videos. Get the extension. It really does save time. And it's free: chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/threelly-smartview-for-yo/dfohlnjmjiipcppekkbhbabjbnikkibo

[@lordsiomai]

This is the first time I've seen the history of the universe from the lenses of entropy and ever-increasing complexity. It really re-contenxualized things

[@tanjirshuvo4059]

Love This Guy. An Amazing explanation.✨💟

[@TrondArneAusdal]

Man! Interesting! I really learned something! Really interesting "story", presented in an easy to understand way

[@bubbercakes528]

Thank you Mr. Christian. Everyone should see this at least a couple times a year to give us a sense of wonder and belonging. All of us share a history and all of us are family. We all need to learn to work together.

[@mortensimonsen1645]

Should we work together because we're family? How did you infer moral here?

[@tommym8trix]

@@mortensimonsen1645 Classic Morten!!

[@jorgeluisvaldivieso3302]

Excelente talk. The perfection of the complexity that made us what we are. I would’ve given him one more minute so he could’ve started a minute before “nothing”

[@harrisdabideen775]

Great talk.Based on his chemical spontaneity of creation following the laws of physics,we should anticipate the continuing evolution of different things including man . I wonder which chemicals mediate our ability to good or evil or that innate instinct to thank a higher spirit.

[@danconser6709]

such great complexity creation takes ENERGY & LOTS OF IT!!!

[@Tom_Mroz]

Video first published in April 2011, I watched in November 2019. Case in point about collective knowledge.

[@rehustler]

Watching it again in 2020. This video will be relevant until our eventual extinction because time.

[@lfidarraga]

@@rehustler actually. People might laugh at this video in 100 years or less

[@ichangedmyself4362]

I just watched in 2020, got halfway thru and wondered how I can get that time back. What a waste of time and space. Hey, that's funny!

[@courtjester1135]

@@lfidarraga Yup, case in point: Could the Big Bang Be Wrong? www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/could-the-big-bang-be-wrong

[@killme6929]

The world didn’t believe the world was round until Christopher Columbus yet the Bible stated that fact thousands of years before Columbus was born. Case in point about collective knowledge.

[@mariateresa-lu7zc]

That history is amazing. Also is part of Montessori curriculum and philosophy.

[@pagusmusic6254]

Beautiful, reading ‘talk like Ted’ and this was recommended in the intro chapter, fantastic speech, in less than 18 mins we learn about billion years of history!

[@JorgePicco]

Of all the KZbin videos I have ever watched this one really and deeply hits home.

[@markiejuh]

6:46 Close your eyes and Severus snape will tell you something.

[@leionmusk]

Worth watching! Great speech!!

[@alanfite333]

I am very impressive with David Christian's lecture. It is eye-opening.

[@EvelynLogan-ew9rp]

Hi 👋

[@kindgurly1]

What a brilliant mind! And he's just bursting with passion for his field! So admirable.

[@killme6929]

God’s foolishness is man’s wisdom

[@edinfific2576]

@@killme6929 Only according to "St. Paul" can God ever be "foolish". It was his way of defending his nonsensical lies he was spreading about Jesus, and unfortunately he was successful; hundreds of millions have followed HIM rather than Jesus, and believed his blatant lies to be "the holy truth from God".

[@jdthein]

An eloquent, informed and masterful presentation. The visual aids were right on point, as was Mr. Christian's narrative. I especially like the inclusion of his Grandson Daniel's example at the ending. One of the strongest TED presentations I've seen.

[@Esico6]

Its terrible and science unworthy. He explains things with: ‘because of magic’.

[@alexr1587]

Is he crazy or what??? No, I mean he IS a deranged lunatic. Read the Bible, stupid. Go to YOUR roots, David, go to your surname heritage.

[@BillMorganChannel]

This man has more faith than any Christian I have met.

[@KentStJohn-vn6bq]

This dude is a master presenter. The theatrics of the presentation timing and animations was one of the best I've ever seen.

[@GanpatiRam]

Thank you so much sir David😊❤

[@tobiasschaefer1981]

Title of the video should read "How to evade the most crucial questions when explaining the universe and life".

[@nikkorocksalot5254]

Depends on what you view as a crucial question Can you tell us what it means to you?

[@bulentcan3533]

Well said

[@craigkrobinson]

And.....?

[@tobiasschafer7132]

@@nikkorocksalot5254 Well, the one being, to me, if we assume that at the point of Big Bang everything was spread (or condensed) evenly, and entropy works as assumed, why should there develop these clusters of slightly denser concentrations auf helium and hydrogen? Like, if you soluted alt in hot water, you wouldn't expect to see clusters of slightly higher concentrations of salt just randomly, I assume? And secondly, always more curiously to me, is the step from quite complex chemical compounds to hypercomlex chemical compounds that somehow have the ability to reproduce their own design. I mean, just - how? David Christian, in his narrative, puts it like, "Well how do you do this?" or "How do you accomplish that step?", and most interestingly, at 10:20 "Well, it's here that life introduces an entirely new trick" [referring to the spawn of DNA], which is A) like assuming that some entity outside the process oversees the process, and B) that consciousness ("life") exists even before the material that we assume generates consciousness (DNA, or life) existed. Personally, I tend to believe that the step from unconscious matter to "self-conscious" matter, in that it can reproduce and therefore to a minimal extend at least recognize itself or its own structure, is not explicable without any idea of a higher consciousness, or an entity outside the process overseeing, or at least enabling the process. Now, that is my personal assumption, and I am aware that other assumptions are equally valid, but to me at least this is the huge question. Just the how did it go from lifeless to life?

[@bulentcan3533]

He goes "....and bangggg, we have a Universe!" . That's fine but he should have made it clear that we actually don't know what happened at that point. That's nothing to be embarrassed about . Science is not religion.

[@JacyndaMinor]

Dude when he hit me with the grandson Daniel at the end I bout cried

[@dislayer5187]

Astonishing talk with a huge powerfull mesages for all the next generation, its seems like a obvious but in these with accelerated pace we are not conscious about the little that is our existence we are

[@manwhoismissingtwotoenails4811]

Thanks I needed to Speedrun history for my finals today.

[@EvelynLogan-ew9rp]

Hey I really like your profile picture and if you let me, I would make such an amazing mural out of it! If you don’t mind one of your post could be my inspiring muse for an art project i’m working on for a client. You will totally get paid for it as well as a bonus also get credits.

[@brandonryan9582]

The darkest, emptiest place you can think off.. My ex's soul.

[@Ricky-ln6rt]

Brandon Lee 😂

[@waterhd4592]

Pinoy to hahah

[@BXJ-mi9mm]

Souls don't exist so you need to think of something else.

[@abdelazeemadel4331]

you are right

[@joannot6706]

@@BXJ-mi9mm It's a joke. And a very good one I might add.

[@PhilKJames]

Even better the second time 👏👏👏

[@zhouquantui1972]

Stunning talk!!

[@Joethebro101]

What a wonderful video! Thank you!

[@morrisonpaul2355]

Absolutely awesome presentation. Hopefully you can get your point across sooner than later. Thank you kindly.

[@carguychad]

the only real explanation of creation is in the bible.

[@WillTS2]

“Even crazier space dust”

[@blankkzy502]

only og's will understand

[@dikshyamohapatra7798]

bob, oh bob :'( where r u

[@AinzWoolGown]

The sun is a deadly lazer

[@ishamahadev8120]

A bill wurtz reference!

[@thatcopenguy]

"Not anymore there's a blanket"

[@ThingsInDubai]

One of the greatest speeches of all time!

[@shivanshudubey5469]

Simply great.

[@AlmostEthical]

A fine clear-sighted summary. I personally think that multicellular organisms could have been given greater weight. For two billion years life was stuck at unicellular level before, apparently, mitochondria fell inside of archaea and the resultant symbiosis prospered. I think it's important too to consider what he said about collective learning being out of our control. Notice how influential large institutions are largely now a law unto themselves? The freedom of large corporations and intense global competition ensures that we will have no control over new AI, biotechnology, nanotechnology or quantum computing. Humans may only be a conduit for the Earth being able to send its material to other worlds before the Sun expands. This century looks like it will get harder as it goes.

[@keykrazy]

I agree wholeheartedly, AlmostEthical. I don't remember him mentioning prokaryotes-to-eukaryotes either, FWIW. I personally feel the video amounts to "preaching to the choir". There's nothing here to convince anyone of anything, it is "merely" a highly-informative (and perhaps inspirational?) presentation.

[@davinonnenmacher7272]

Excellent ted talk

[@rrichardson5909]

Big History. What a wonderful gift,

[@engrowaisafraz4807]

Every single comment is applauding Mr Christian. is it that flawless?

[@maryjski]

Carl Sagan said all of this in 1980. Cosmos: A Personal Journey is the best television that our collective learning has produced. Sagan even made an apple pie to discuss the subatomic principles of chemistry, you need mushy eggs to do that...

[@kunjupulla]

I have had the luck to meet him and talk with him, as part of Big History Project.

[@barniestormer6698]

I met the queen but I don't go on and on about it...:)

[@ShivaniiMLP]

That must be an interesting project to be involved in!

[@kunjupulla]

@@ShivaniiMLP Actually it is a course. In India only a few schools have it, and one is ours. So he came to our school to attend an annual programme.

[@kunjupulla]

@@barniestormer6698 Sorry 😔.

[@dennysmith7862]

Fascinatingly put across... The Earth and entire Universe is magnificently created... We have to be the CARETAKERS of all... African Proverb puts it so succinctly : "Do not only worry about your children... worry about your children's children too.... " UBUNTU : "I Am because YOU are..." Fellow-feeling is essential in all we do...

[@peterj.fallon4327]

The best teachers aren’t necessarily the smartest-it’s the ones best able to distill the information to those who are less knowledgeable in a way they can understand. They are gems of society

[@EvelynLogan-ew9rp]

Peter