2013-09-11

Now this is worthwhile (big) history!

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by Neil Godfrey

bigh-van_gogh_starry_night_over_the_rhoneWe surely need a new narrative to replace the nationalist and socialist narratives that have fueled the histories we have been taught, read and watched on film. And it looks like someone with money and interest has spotted one such narrative to give us a new perspective on where we are and where we’ve been.

The new course

gives students a wide-angle look at the universe and humanity’s presence on the cosmic timeline, by combining the sciences, history and economics into one cohesive story.

Check out the Macquarie University’s description of the course:

Big History is the attempt to understand, in a unified and interdisciplinary way, the history of the Cosmos, Earth, Life and Humanity. Big History is ambitious – it seeks understanding by bringing together and linking the knowledge available in many different scholarly disciplines.

Further details on how Bill Gates has become involved

http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/history-but-with-a-bang-20120219-1thkq.html

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-10/bill-gates-big-history/4946140