Complexity in the Universe and Complexity of Life - Essay Example

Name: Institution: Date: Instructor: Introduction The modern world has become more complex since it was modernized into a global village. Complexity of the world can be viewed from different angles and different topics. In addition, the ways of living has also changed and the thinking needed at the moment for a person to live in the same world must also bring everyone together. Therefore, this means that everyone must get a way to think in a manner of togetherness rather than in an exclusive manner. In this study therefore, the researcher will try to explain how complexity tie with the topics discussed below. Hence as we proceed in trying to construct and make such a history of the world, we might soon find that, even though the details and approaches of the history are those that resemble the twentieth century, the shape it has taken and the main aims are equivalent to the ones of the traditional Creation Myths in the bible. Therefore, the key theme of this unit is the complexity of the world from the beginning of the universe to the modern society.1 The Big History has become an emerging and a very rapidly growing academic area of study that examines the world’s history in a scientific manner from the famous Big Bang theory to what we have now as the modern world. In addition, the big history examines a very long period of time in a different directional approaches and are based on bringing together very many disciplines which range from sciences to humanities and explores the existence human beings in the context of the larger world. Therefore, it combines the study of the earth, cosmos, life and the context of humanity and uses empirical evidence which explores the causes-and- the effects that affect the history. Consequently, it is taught at the level of the university and some topics in the secondary schools which often are done by the use of internet based interactive sessions and presentations. In addition, it is explained as an academic movement that is specifically led by a historian known as David Christian from Macquarie University in Australia. He is the man who came up with the term Big History which was made and created from unusual coalition of scholars. However even though some of the academic historians in the world are skeptical on the value and originality of the 20 year old area of study, it appears to be headed for a further and higher growth which includes an effort of making the discipline accessible to the world through a project of Bill Gates the billionaire and David Christian which is known as Big History Project2. Complexity in the Universe In the beginning, the planet Earth was believed to be flat and the first observers reported so since that is what it appeared to them. Hunters and gatherers also and other members of the early civilization had a hand in reporting the same since they did not improvised technology and machinery to view the universe. In addition, this was not fully unreasonable; the early people would think it that way due to the curvature of this planet's surface which is not immediately apparent. However, we know that it ought to have been not fully inconceivable even to the early human beings that our senses in some occasions lie to us. This fiction of planet Earth being flat brought about a major problem that the earth must at a point end somewhere, unless therefore, people imagined it could extend to the infinity. Infinity is a relative term and a conception hence, right below to the recent generations, people got afraid of the possibility of dropping down from the Earth's boundaries3 The boundaries of the earth were feared and were believed to be at some point of the earth. However, what was believed to lie beyond the said boundaries was unknown and therefore the people were open to speculating what was there. The heavens full of stars were also a major source of endless speculations, wonder and inspiration to people. Some even said that the starry heavens were the lighting of a major city that was above the skies and therefore the fear that one day the city might fall on them. Different peoples from different parts of the world were on record to have created different myths about this; they were particularly inspired by these skies including the celestial bodies like the stars. These cosmogonies of the different individuals could be seen as a trial in explaining their place in the beautiful universe. However, around six thousand years ago, historians known as the Sumerians brought a different myth where they believed that the planet Earth was found at the very centre of the cosmos and that it provided the cosmos with the focal point. This myth was later transferred to the Babylonians and the Greeks4 According to different history books and historians, it is the Greeks through their scientists who first gave the idea that this planet is spherical and not flat as it was said to be in the earlier days. Around 340 BC, a Greek philosopher named Aristotle explained to the world a few great points that favored the theory. In addition, Aristotle gave an account on why the earth was not flat as previously thought and that the early historians were wrong in thinking that. To begin with, the philosopher questioned why one always would see the sails of a ship coming over from the seas in the horizon first and then after the ship itself. In this he suggested that the surface of the planet through the oceans and seas is curved. 5 With the knowledge that the human beings possess today, Big bang theory became the basic theory in which the world was formed. This theory has in the recent times been discussed and studied by people and although there are other theories it has still been the major theory so far. The complexity of the modern society in terms of understanding the origin of the world and the evolvement of the technology is evident. Modern technology has enabled the philosophers and historians to view the universe in a modern way. Consequently, the modern universe is more complex than at the time of its formation as many things have evolved with time. Different things get into different forms as time goes on and the universe is no exception.6 Complexity of Life It is believed photosynthetic life came into existence around 2 billion years ago. Hence, this gave and enriched the atmosphere and the universe with enough oxygen. In addition, the first life on earth is believed to have formed sometime in between 3.8 and 3.5 billion years ago and now has become more complex than it was before. Life at that time could not get recognizable with open eyes and remained mostly in a state that was very small and microscopic up to around 580 million years ago; this was when complex multi-cellular organisms’ life arose and was recognized7 Life has undergone major changes to the point it is today as more people understand and value life. Human knowledge so far has helped him change the already existing life but has not been able to create his own life. This has led to major complexity about life in which there has been great genetic changes. Life has become more complex and this led to great endurance and study of life prolonging and maintenance. The lives of animals including the human beings have become more complex with the genetic knowledge and this led to human beings starting to control life on earth.8 The History of Human Beings Different theories in the early days describe the beginning of life. Some believe it is through the evolvement theory while others account it to the creation theory. Consequently, it is not coincidental that just like the traditional Creation Myths the major aim from the modern global history becomes similar in helping the historians align themselves with the world through understanding their place and study in the Time and the Place of living, and in the larger living of all things and creatures of the world. However, the basic concept is that life has changed.9 The modern man has become more complex in that he posses more knowledge. Knowledge in human beings has been progressive and this has led to the modern man becoming more complex in the way he deals with other animals. According to the evolvement theory, man developed from an ape that did not have a large capacity of brain which has increased with time becoming the animal with the most wisdom leading to control of other animals. Consequently, in the creation theory, after creation God gave man power over other animals. Therefore, with both theories the human being has developed and invented many things to help him ruling the world. The size of the brain of the man is the fundamental thing in his becoming more complex and due to this he has changed his view over other animals.10 Complexity on Agriculture Agriculture involves the domestication of different plants and animals in a homestead and was developed in the early ages of at least 10,000 years ago when the human beings got the first plants and animals. However, although earlier the people began the task of keeping plant and animals in their communities for them to benefit them in their lives through any other means like fire-stick farming. In addition, agriculture has since undergone some major developments as per from that time when we had the earliest cultivation believed to be in Mesopotamia. The Fertile lands of Western Asia known as the crescent in Egypt, and India were other major sites of the earliest known and planned cultivation and harvesting of food plants in the country. This therefore, had previously been collected and gathered from the forests and the wild. Independent growth of agriculture happened in the northern and more specifically the southern China. In addition, New Guinea, Africa's Sahel, some parts of India and other regions of America. Different agricultural practices and modernization such as irrigation fertilizers, crop rotation, and herbicides were developed during that long time ago. However, agriculture has made some great steps forward in the past centuries. One major innovation is the Haber-Bosch process which is used for synthesizing and processing ammonium nitrate that represented major step to breakthrough and this allowed improved crop yields which overcame the previous constraints11 Since agriculture began being developed from at least 10,000 years ago, it has made significant developments from the early times of the earliest animal keeping and crop cultivation. Evidence from the points such as the fertile land the Crescent in the Middle East was collected to become as the site of the very early planned and organized sowing and cultivation as well as harvesting of food plants which was previously gathered and collected in the wild. In the past one century agriculture has developed and is characterized by enhanced productivity, the substitution and mechanization of labor and the production of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, selective breeding, water pollution, herbicides and farm subsidies. In addition, in the recent few years there has been a great development in the agricultural sector. Mechanization of the agricultural sector has made it great for the sector. Consequently, the modern universe in the agricultural sector is more complex than at the time of its formation as many things have evolved with time. 12 However, though farming practices and habits in the started and developed in the recent history which was generally led to the increased outputs and the produce is of high quality, however, they also led to major destruction of farmland, and most notable was in the area of Dust Bowl in the United States after the World War I. Due to the increase in the world population, agriculture has continued to replace other natural ecosystems where there was monoculture crops. Since the early 1970s, many of the western farmers and other consumers became in an increasing manner and in many cases it is widely used as intensive agricultural practices. The development of awareness led to an increased interest in the sector of agriculture where apiculture, organic farming, biodiversity, permaculture, and heirloom plants.13 Development of the agricultural sector has come a long way to improvement where the world has seen great transformation. Agricultural development went further to reduce food insecurity in the country. Today, the agricultural sector has developed to be the most sophisticated thing in the world. It has developed so as to reduce the repetition of the increasing food insecurity. Mechanization, chemical production, fertilizer increase and production of more food have been necessitated by the increase of global population. Recently, production of food has been increased through science and more so the genetic modification of the plants and animals. Agriculture therefore has developed to be more sophisticated than it was at the time of its discovery. Animals nowadays meet the requirements that the human beings keep them for. The increase of the productivity by both the animals and the plants is the aim of the human beings who keep them14. Plant cultivation has improved to increase productivity and to ensure the human beings get food and profit from their keeping. Animals too, increase their productivity through better maintenance by the farmers and also their genes have altered with either to increase meat production through fattening or milk and egg production 15 Geological Complexity Historically, the history of the Earth affects the entire development and improvement of this planet Earth. This is since its formation as the history has bit to what we have today. In addition, almost all areas of natural science contribute to the greater understanding of the main aspects that make the history of the Earth and its past. According to respected historians, it is estimated that the age of Earth at the present is much less and to approximately a third of the age estimated to be of the universe. Additionally, a very large amount of geological and biological change in the world has occurred since that time16 The study of the earth has revealed that with the time passage many things have changed. Its physicality, including formation of different physical features like seas, mountains and valleys due to the earth movement are now evident. More people now understand about the earth than in the past and this leads to easy explanation of facts. Travelling around the earth has become easier due to the new invented technology that has enabled quicker movements. Complexity of the earth is even more evident in the way the continents are currently aligned. It is believed the earth began as a single unit which separated with time.17 Changes in Astrology Big strides have been made in trying to answer a question about the first stars. Different models and many from the computers have been made they indicate that most likely the first stars were very luminous and their formation was a great opportunity of the universe that fundamentally helped to change the universe from subsequent evolution that it has made. The stars changed the dynamics of the cosmos through heating which ionizes the surrounding gases. Scientists make great explanation about the earth which helps the earth in the preservation of history. According to the historians, most of the early stars produced then later dispersed some first heavy elements to the universe; this paved the way to the eventual formation of what the scientist call the solar systems. The solar system includes the sun, moon and nine planets including the earth. Pluto is believed to be the farthest from the sun as compared to mercury which is the nearest. In addition, the collapse and fall of some of the earliest stars may have seeded the formation of black hole in the hearts of the galaxies which is a source of the quasars.18 Complexity in Chemistry Formation of the earth is reported to have been through accretion of the solar nebula. Volcanic eruption at the time likely is seen to be the creation of the primordial atmosphere; however, it contained no oxygen which would be toxic and very harmful to the humans, plants animal and the modern life generally. At the time it is believed much of the Earth was in a molten state due to extreme volcanism as well as frequent collisions that often happened with other bodies in the universe. This is the source of most of the chemicals. Currently, chemicals are used by human beings to help change the way they live. Its complexity has been evident from its formation and even formation of new chemicals from the currently available chemicals. In addition, the chemicals have come to change the human life either to the better of the life of the person or even to harm his current condition of life. Most of the chemicals help improve the life such as the fertilizers, medicine, preservers among others. However the complexity of the chemicals has been also harmful to the life of the human being and also threatened his existence in the earth such as the atomic bombs, chemical emissions from factories and others. Chemical complexity therefore, to the point it is in the modern world can either be harmful or beneficial to human life.19 In conclusion therefore, life in the modern society has changed a lot from the time of the universe formation. Many developments have occurred and most of them are brought about by the human being to make the earth a better place to live and make it more productive. The change of the universe is due to the upgrade of the technology involved and hence with time more is expected to change. The modern human society has definitely become more complex as time proceeds due to change of technology. In addition, it has enabled the human beings discover many things they did not know earlier hence the complexity. Bibliography Read More