Online Encyclopedia
Logarithmic timeline
This logarithmic timeline, based on logarithmic scale, is able to show all history on one page in ten lines. In this chart, each row is defined in years ago, that is, years before the present date, with the most recent at the top of the chart.
- A period corresponds to an epoch
- An event is an occurrence of an observed or inferred process
- Progress refers to civilizational advances, such as inventions and scientific discoveries; see Timeline of invention for more.
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Regression indicates a problem or crisis that can be considered as the opposite of progress: having a retardative effect on life or civilization.
- This is an arbitrary listing as progress toward the current state of human civilization is the apparent selection criterion.
More Detailed Exponential Timeline in Steps of 102/3
Another interesting property is the ordering of experience into intuitive notions of experience (this is not the case for us with linear scales, for example the years 3, 432, 623, 096 BC and 3, 432, 623, 097 BC).
Time ago |
Period |
---|---|
16 weeks - 17 months |
spanning Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov & Dec 2003 and Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr & May 2004: Nation building in occupied Iraq. |
17 months - 6.5 years |
Era of the Www, spanning 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, & 2003: Success of Linux & open source software production. The dot-com bubble. Wikipedia. Escalation of islamistic terrorism (9/11); and situation in Near & Middle East, Iraq war. China acquires Hong Kong; now leading figure in economy & industry, Shenzhou spacecraft. International Space Station. Columbia catastrophe. Euro. EU & NATO enlargement by eastern european countries. Conservativism in US and Russia. Anti-globalization movement. Human Genome Project completes. Viagra. |
6.5- 30 years |
Multicultural Era, spanning 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, the 80s, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97 & 98: Experience of Limits to Growth; oil, energy & environmental crises. Ecologic movement. NGOs. Computer; Moore's law & software. Industrial & autonomous robots. Anthropocentrism weakened by science fiction, UFO & SETI (but decline of interplanetary space flight). Interested assimilation of foreign culture & alternative lifestyles. Tendencies towards laissez-faire globalization (neoliberalism); multinational corporations. Decline of Communism. Fall of the Berlin Wall. Market-orientation of Chinese economy. Postmodernism. New age. |
30- 140 years |
Industrial Age, spanning the 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s & 1970s: Engine driven traffic & machines. Petroleum & chemicals. Aerospace, electrical & nuclear engineering. Photography & mass media. Non-standard maths & physics. Darwinism & genetics. Egalitarianism(Socialism) & speciesism towards mass society: 'Abundancy for all through technology'. Universal suffrage. Liberalism. New Imperialism followed by breakup of European Empires; industrial ascent of Asian Nations. World War I & World War II. Psychology. 'American dream'. |
140- 650 years |
Renaissance & Modern Age until revolutions & first Industrial Revolution in Great Britain spanning the 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th & 19th century: Protestant reform & enlightenment. Firearms. Textile industry. Precise mechanical machines. Optics. Calculus. Printing press & scientific organizations. Global sea traffic, trade & colonization. 'European radiation'. Little Ice Age. |
650- 3k years |
'Classical' Iron age and Middle Ages spanning 1st millennia BC & AD and the 11th, 12th, 13th & 14th century: Democracy & capitalism; self governed citizenship appears. armoured knighthood. Trans-atlantic seamanship. Critical and social thought appears; education of individual responsibility. The 'familiar' concepts of the personal meaning of life & lifestyle to identify with are coined. An early empiric science & alchemy are concealed beneath strong individualistic tendencies. Politics. |
3k- 14k years |
Early Holocene period consisting of Neolithic age, Chalkolithic age , Bronze age containing the 10th, 9th, 8th, 7th, 6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd & 2nd millennium BC: Domestication of animals (and people) begins, large settlements of stone architecture are raised. Gaining of ceramic and metallic materials with ovens. Agriculture & irrigation. Mechanics; invention of the wheel. Writing, law & trade. Coastal seamanship & astronomy. Spinning & loom. |
14k- 65k years |
Upper paleolithic period: Time of Cro-Magnon, anatomically identical to modern humans: Most sophisticated Aurignacian, Gravettian & Solutrean flint and bone technology. Aesthetics emerge with Cave art, Venus figurines, pendants, bracelets, ivory beads. Needle & thread. Usage of calendars. Projectile weapons like spear and atlatl. Life of Y-chromosomal Adam? |
65k- 300k years |
Middle paleolithic period: Time of homo neanderthalensis: Development of Mousterian stone technology, pikeheads, hand axes and multiple specialised tools, i.e. for processing of animal skin to clothing, sacks and complex shelters. Crude bone handcraft begins. Shamanism emerges, burial practices take place. Life of Mitochondrial Eve. Life of Y-chromosomal Adam? |
300k- 1.4M years |
Early Pleistocene epoch of Quaternary period: The bloom of homo erectus, development of language, mastery of fire and Acheulean stone technology that serves as weapon for hunting and protection against any existing species. Early forms of division of labor (i.e. for hunting). Artificial dwellings of boughs and furs are inhabited and the environment comes under the influence of social control. |
1.4M- 6.5M years |
Early stone age: In the Pliocene epoch, the first human-like ancestors live. The oldest is Australopithecus, followed by homo habilis and the early homo erectus. The most ancient stone age technology, Oldowan, emerges. The brain volume grows to an amount comparable to that of modern mankind. This strong increase in encephalization is regarded as mystery; one attempt of explanation is a begin of meme processing. |
6.5M- 30M years |
Era of apes: In the Oligocene epoch, Aegyptopithecus appears. Apes have 3D sight and skillful hands with opposable thumbs for living in the evolution-generated 3D environment of forests. They (like other mammals) are said to be capable of Metacognition , the ability of doubt and autobiographic memory. In the Miocene epoch, a descendant was Dryopithecus , ancestor of all modern apes and mankind. |
30M- 140M years |
Era of mammals: In the Cretaceous period of Mesozoic age, birds and placental mammals exist in the shadow of the dinosaurs. These endotherms (and maybe some highly developed dinosaurs) share a special capability for emotion and social behaviour. After the extinction of dinosaurs in the Paleogene subperiod of the Tertiary period, endotherms gain domination of the land; primates appear. |
140M- 650M years |
Era of animals: After the Varanger glaciation in the Ediacaran period of the Neoproterozoic age, the first multicellular fungi, plants and animals emerge. The Paleozoic age begins with the Cambrian explosion spreading a great variety of animal forms; Nervous systems appear with senses, brain and behavior. In Silurian and Devonian time, life enters the land. The Mesozoic age brings the Dinosaurs. |
650M- 3B years |
Era of single cells; The Archaean age ends with the accumulation of Oxygen by Cyanobacteria, the Proterozoic begins: In the Paleoproterozoic our biosphere stabilizes with aerophile bacteria, in the Mesoproterozoic age emerge cells with nuclei capable of sexual reproduction and the Neoproterozoic (until the Varanger glaciation from 750 - 580 M years ago) prepared multicellular life. |
3B- 14B years |
Milky Way: The Panspermia hypothesis suggests life to emerge in the depths of space long before. Arisen from Universe soon after Big Bang, a first generation of stars provides heavy elements for Chemistry & planets after some B years. Earth: Hadean & Archaean age; life in form of archaea appears in a comparatively small fraction (600 or less to 950 M years) of the period of single cells. Drake equation factors: R* (star formation), fp (planets), ne (planetary potential to bear life), and fl (actual development of life). |
See also
- Timeline of the Universe
- Geologic timescale
- Timeline of evolution
- Orders of magnitude (time)
- Logarithmic timeline of current events
Last updated: 10-24-2004 05:10:45