Big History

See how a simple molecule launched wars, built monuments, sparked revolutions, and underpins our civilization even now.

The horse has been a revolutionary animal in unexpected ways. How did a changing planet turn the horse into man's best friend?

Why is mankind is gold crazy? There's a hard-wired reason we lust after it, and a microscopic explanation for why it shines.

For thousands of years, cold controls the fate of our species by changing our bodies, our skin, and even the metals we use to fight our wars. Only by taking control of the cold do we learn to dominate the planet.

Humans have engineered massive constructions for at least 5,000 years. But why? How do biology and human emotions affect our desire to build gigantic structures?

From the right kind of air to cosmic forces that keep us from tumbling into space, Earth offers the perfect environment in which to take flight.

Humans have small teeth and no claws or armor, so how do we project our power? Warfare has defined traditional history, but Big History digs deeper to reveal how it all began.

The molecule that gives your morning cup its kick is caffeine, the most popular drug in history. How did a plant poison became our drug of choice, and stimulate revolutions around the planet?

They form boundaries, create natural defenses, and control our weather. Mountains make civilization possible, yet we were never designed to live in their extreme environments.

How does your cellphone link to the Big Bang, the evolution of human memory, and even the Titanic disaster? Big History reveals how cosmic forces conspired to give us the tool that has revolutionized the planet.

The code of life, DNA, is the operating system for all organisms, which spawned intelligent life like us who eventually created codes of our own. But is it possible that the universe itself runs on code?

Like celestial supply ships, meteors brought water, metal, and maybe even life to Earth. But just as they created everything we know, they will likely snuff it all out in a fiery burst of destruction.

The Sun is our master and creator, shaping our perception of time and, by extension, powering our lives. Big History sheds new light on our nearest star.

The human need for beef has driven history across the hemispheres, but how did we turn an ancient mega-beast into the cow we have today? Trace all the beef on earth back to a single prehistoric herd.

Water is the miracle molecule, and mankind has used its perfect properties to revolutionize our lives. Explore how the science behind water is the driving force of our history.

At critical moments in history, our second-place metal was the most important on Earth. How did this one metal save democracy and connect the world?

Crisscross billions of years of time and space to see how everyone, and everything, is linked in one universal story, and how an epic series of improbable events connected in order to make life possible.