The History of Pretty Much Everything

Would you like to have a look into the current state of knowledge about the evolution of the universe? Astrophysicist Ethan Siegel of Lewis & Clark University has posted on his blog Starts With a Bang a history of the universe as astrophysics currently believes it to be. It also projects what is believed will happen into the far future.

Quick summary: the Earth began to exist about 9.5 billion years after the big bang. Life began on Earth about 0.4 billion years later. Another 0.8 billion years later Mars dies.

Life really explodes some 12.5 billion years after the beginning. Humans set foot on the moon 13.7 billion years after the big bang. Another 1.3 billion years and the Earth becomes too hot to inhabit. Siegel believes the universe will burn itself out in 10 to the 15th power years.

Bottom line: Don't hold your breath.