Imagine, for the sake of a better understanding of the scale of things, that the entire 14-15 billion year history of the universe – from the Big Bang or Beginning until now were compressed into a single year. I believe Carl Sagan brought the concept about and it is now regularly referred to as a “Cosmic Calendar”.   

Using this scale, the Big Bang would take place on New Years Day at the stroke of 01:00:00 January 1st and each subsequent 24 days would represent 1 billion years (a month would equal about 1.17 billion years).

The Milky Way Galaxy would’ve been created in February. Since Astronomers believe our Solar System developed approx 4.5 billion years ago, that would’ve been in early September with microscopic life on Earth beginning to flourish later that same month. It wouldn’t be until mid-December, however, that the earth would see great sea creatures and every living creature according to its kind.

Argueably, the most remarkable thing about using this perspective is that the entire history of human civilization falls into about the last half minute: 

• 11:46 Domestication of fire by Pekin Man
• 11:59:00 Extensive cave writing in Europe
• 11 seconds ago the ancient Egyptians built their pyramids
• 11:59:51 saw the invention of the alphabet by the Akkadian Empire
• 11:59:56 Roman Empire & birth of Christ
• 11:59:58 Mayan civilization, Byzantine empire, Crusades

The first second of the next New Year’s Day brings the widespread development of science and technology, the ability for self-destruction of the entire human race, and outer space exploration.

On the cosmic scale of things, we as humans are barely infants, let alone our individual lifetimes.

Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. – James 4:14 NKJV

Tags: Astronomy

Trackback URI | Comments RSS