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Amazing that the entirety of human civilization as we know it fits in a smaller time scale than the very first event on this timeline (10,000 years from now).

Amazing that the entirety of human civilization as we know it fits in a smaller time scale than the very first event on this timeline (10,000 years from now). So while these time spans are minuscule on an astronomical scale, they are enormous on a human scale.

turc1656 8y ago
Indeed. In Neil DeGrasse Tyson's version of "Cosmos" there is a great illustration where he says that if we visualize the entire history of the universe as being scaled to one calendar year then every human being that has ever lived has essentially existed somewhere within the last 12 seconds of that year.
- muterad_murilax 8y ago
  And that's including our ancestors.
- 394549 8y ago
  > In Neil DeGrasse Tyson's version of "Cosmos" there is a great illustration where he says that if we visualize the entire history of the universe as being scaled to one calendar year then every human being that has ever lived has essentially existed somewhere within the last 12 seconds of that year. Was that in the original Carl Sagan version of Cosmos as well? I seem to recall it, but I've never seen the Neil DeGrasse Tyson version.
  - turc1656 8y ago
    Apparently it was. I have never seen the older version so wasn't aware. Another commenter above posted the youtube link to the original segment.
- davidivadavid 8y ago
  Same sequence was in the original Cosmos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzG9fHMr9L4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzG9fHMr9L4
- zaarn 8y ago
  Even better, when you stretch those 12 seconds to a few minutes and where to watch a slideshow of human progress, all of modern history would be over in a few seconds too, stuff like the invention of steam machines up to the moon landing would be in the last two or three frames, flashing by in the blink of an eye. It really puts into perspective how insignificant we really are on this tiny blue dot. On the grand scale, nothing we do will matter, in either time or space. We're too small and shortlived. Probably means we should make the most of it :)
contingencies 8y ago
the entirety of human civilization as we know it fits in a smaller time scale than the very first event on this timeline (10,000 years from now). Well, it depends how you define civilization. Humans reached Australia 60,000 years ago. Many substantially complex settled civilizations existed 3,000 years ago. Ancient Egypt's dynastic period began 5,000 years ago. So you could say it's 1/6th of Australia's habitation time, or merely two Egyptian stories.

turc1656 8y ago

Indeed. In Neil DeGrasse Tyson's version of "Cosmos" there is a great illustration where he says that if we visualize the entire history of the universe as being scaled to one calendar year then every human being that has ever lived has essentially existed somewhere within the last 12 seconds of that year.

muterad_murilax 8y ago
And that's including our ancestors.
394549 8y ago
> In Neil DeGrasse Tyson's version of "Cosmos" there is a great illustration where he says that if we visualize the entire history of the universe as being scaled to one calendar year then every human being that has ever lived has essentially existed somewhere within the last 12 seconds of that year. Was that in the original Carl Sagan version of Cosmos as well? I seem to recall it, but I've never seen the Neil DeGrasse Tyson version.
- turc1656 8y ago
  Apparently it was. I have never seen the older version so wasn't aware. Another commenter above posted the youtube link to the original segment.
davidivadavid 8y ago
Same sequence was in the original Cosmos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzG9fHMr9L4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzG9fHMr9L4
zaarn 8y ago
Even better, when you stretch those 12 seconds to a few minutes and where to watch a slideshow of human progress, all of modern history would be over in a few seconds too, stuff like the invention of steam machines up to the moon landing would be in the last two or three frames, flashing by in the blink of an eye. It really puts into perspective how insignificant we really are on this tiny blue dot. On the grand scale, nothing we do will matter, in either time or space. We're too small and shortlived. Probably means we should make the most of it :)

contingencies 8y ago

the entirety of human civilization as we know it fits in a smaller time scale than the very first event on this timeline (10,000 years from now). Well, it depends how you define civilization. Humans reached Australia 60,000 years ago. Many substantially complex settled civilizations existed 3,000 years ago. Ancient Egypt's dynastic period began 5,000 years ago. So you could say it's 1/6th of Australia's habitation time, or merely two Egyptian stories.