This document discusses how discoveries and new technologies have changed perceptions of the universe throughout history. It provides examples like Galileo's telescope revealing the earth was round and Gutenberg's printing press fueling revolutions in thought. The document also discusses major themes from videos on human migration out of Africa, the role of catastrophes in driving evolution, and Jared Diamond's theory in "Guns, Germs and Steel" that geography and disease resistance better explain Eurasian advancement than intellect. It concludes that history can be seen as a chain of interconnected events that together support modern civilization.

1. Big History
Matthew McHolland
History of the Americas
Professor Arguello

2. The Day the Universe Changed
• Essentially, it is not one day, it is every day a discovery or new
technology was introduced that changed our perspective about
the universe.
• Since the universe only exists as we perceive it, every time
something changes our perception, it changes the universe.
• Our view of history is an every-changing perception of our world
and the universe.
• The Ionian Greeks began the distinctive way of thinking with
western civilization characterized by an “intellectual restlessness.”

3. The Day the Universe Changed
Major Themes
Technology: Galileo’s telescope changed the
perception of our world by revealing that the
earth was round.
. Gutenberg's printing press helped to transform
perception as well as fuel revolutions in thought.

4. The Day the Universe Changed
Major Themes
• Discoveries: Darwin’s theory of evolution challenged many
previous conceptions and inspired a new way of thinking.
• At a certain points in history, knowledge and perception are
truths that are held to be valid until proven otherwise- this
makes history the universe, and our perception of it fluid and
ever-changing things.

5. The Journey of Man
Major Themes
• Migration: According to the video, the earliest groups of
humans are believed to find their present-day descendants
among the San people. This is a group that it is now found in
western southern Africa. As humans migrated out of Africa,
they all carried a genetic feature on the Y chromosome and it
is believed that the first wave of migration out of Africa stayed
close to the coastal areas of the Indian Ocean.

6. The Journey of Man
Major Themes
. Communication: Language is responsible for the advancement of human
civilization. In this case, the fact that the San people learned how to hunt
indicates that their ability to communicate was very efficient. According to
the video, there are still people in east Africa who speak different
languages that nevertheless share the archaic characteristics of the San
language. The way they communicated was by using a distinctive repertoire
of click and pop sounds.

7. Catastrophe
Major Themes
• Disasters: Our planet had to experience many specific events in order to
create the unique circumstances necessary to support life.
• Catastrophic events have, in essence, led to the construction of an
environment that caters to humans and has allowed them to not only
survive, but thrive on earth.

8. Catastrophe
Major Themes
• Ice Ages, volcanic eruptions, asteroids, and other devastating events have
wiped out much of earth’s life forms throughout the ages. However, if it
were not for these catastrophes, humans would not have evolved and
come to dominate the planet.
• The “Big Picture” of history can be viewed as a confluence of events; good,
bad and catastrophic, that all contribute and lead to the reality of the
present day.

9. Guns, Germs and Steel
Major Themes
• Guns, Germs, and Steel is another account of a confluence of
events or circumstances which permitted Eurasian cultures to
seize power and advance civilization. Jared Diamond, the
author of the book the documentary was based on, posits
that the advanced Eurasian civilization is not due to their
superior intellect, but due to the chain of developments and
conditions such as geography and resistance to epidemic
illnesses.

10. Guns, Germs and Steel Continued….
• Because of the livestock and plentiful supply of agriculture,
Eurasian cultures were able to grow their populations, leading
to division of labor, more artistic and cultural professions, and
a better organization of militia. This led to a conquest and
better protection of their civilization.

11. Conclusion
• History can be viewed as a chain of events,
good and bad, which form the conditions that
support the present civilized world. Each
cause has its designated effect and at times,
we do not see all of the related effects until
much, much later.

12. THE END