 Humans are amazing, complex creatures. Understanding how we work helps us care for ourselves. Examining the course of our evolution can illustrate the fundamental electrical, chemical, biological, psychological and social processes that make us human. Ten steps from the beginning of our universe to humans today! 1. The Big Bang
Approximately 13.8 Billion years ago in an event that scientists call the ‘Big Bang’ – in an explosion of energy our universe came into being. Energy emerged including electromagnetic energy – radiation – gamma rays, X rays, UV, light, microwaves and radio waves. Everything is made of energy! |
2. Particles
 In the first billionth of a second some of the Energy formed into particles. Like a rapidly vibrating string tangling into a ball. There are two types of fundamental particles: Matter particles which form the physical world, and Force particles, including the photon which is responsible for Electromagnetic Ratiation. Quantum biology studys cell function at the level of fundamental particles and electromagnetic radiation. Matter particles which make up normal matter include leptons, - electrons, which have a negative charge and neutrinos without charge and also, quarks which have partial charges. Quarks cluster together in groups of three and form positively charged protons and neutrons without charge. | 3. Atoms - opposites attract
 Initially the matter in the universe was a super-heated ‘soup’ (plasma) of electrons, protons, and neutrons. As the universe expended it cooled and the particles moved more slowly. 380,000 years after the Big Bang the negative Electrons and positive Protons were drawn together and formed Atoms. Hydrogen – was the first atom to be formed. It consists of a positive proton in the centre with a negative electron forming a cloud around it. The central proton is much denser, it is 2,000 times heavier than the electron but much smaller. If a proton was the size of a small marble, the electron cloud would be the size of a football field. Massive clouds of Hydrogen atoms were drawn together by gravity. The pressure in these clouds fused protons together forming the first suns 13.5 billion years ago. When protons are fused together (nuclear fusion) electromagnetic energy is given off. This is happening in our sun and is the source of (nearly) all energy on the earth.
The atoms formed in suns have different numbers of protons and neutrons. Carbon has six, nitrogen seven, Oxygen eight. As pressure within them built up these ancient suns exploded forming clouds of elements. This dust was drawn together by gravity forming new suns, in which larger elements formed like calcium with twenty protons and neutrons and iron with twenty-six of each. The birth and death of stars can be seen in distant nebula.
Our Sun, Earth and the other planets in our solar system formed 4.5 billion years ago from atoms formed in ancient sun. We are literally made of stardust! Initially our planet was a spinning molten blob of elements. Centrifugal force moved the heavy elements like iron, nickel and other heavy metals to the core, the lighter elements like carbon, calcium and magnesium formed the crust and the lightest atoms, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen formed a gas layer around the surface of the planet – the Atmosphere. | 4. Molecules - a 3D magnetic jigsaw
 Each element has a different shaped cloud of electrons – with negative & positive areas. Different atoms fit together like a magnetic jigsaw puzzle forming simple molecules such as water - H2O , carbon dioxide - CO2, methane - CH4 and ammonia -NH4. These simple molecules in the atmosphere and oceans of the earth were drawn together by the electromagnetic force and over millions of years formed Complex molecules such as proteins. Approximately Four billion years ago molecules formed that were shaped in such a way that an identical copy of them spontaneously formed. These self-replicating molecules included ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNS). These molecules form the basis of life. 5. Life - cells
 About 3.8 billion years ago pieces of DNA coded to make enzymes which are a type of protein which can make other molecules including carbohydrates, fats and other proteins. These molecules formed a protective coat around the DNA forming bacterial cells – the first forms of life. Like the microbes in stromatolites, which evolved 3.5 million years ago. Complex cells like the cells in our body and the single celled animals like paramecia evolved from bacteria about 1.8 billion years ago. These cells contain complex structure like organelles which are ‘micro-organs’. Cells are individual living organisms. |
6. Colonies of cells
700 million years ago groups of cells clustered together forming colonies of cells which functioned as one organism. Over millions of years groups of the cells within the colony specialised in specific functions such as digestion, circulation of fluids, movement, and co-ordination of the colony. These cells formed organs such as the gastrointestinal system, the heart, blood vessels and lungs. Co-ordination of the functions of all these cells was mediated by the nervous system, through electrical signals and the endocrine system through the production and release of hormones. We are an amazingly complex colony of over 130 trillion individual living organisms. About 37 trillion Human cells and 100 trillion Microbes. Large colonies like us need rapid communication between the cells. Nerves are specialised single cell organisms that send signals by waves of electrical energy moving along the cells. These electrical waves are produced by movement of positively changed sodium and potassium ions (Sodium and potassium atoms that have lost one negatively charged electron) along nerve fibres (axons). When the electrical impulse gets to the end of the nerve fibre messenger chemicals called neurotransmitters are released. These chemicals trigger electrical changes in the adjoining nerve cells and the message travels through a network of nerves to different parts of the body. Neurotransmitters include:
Alcohol initially increases release of dopamine and serotonin producing temporary euphoria but higher or prolonged use cause dysregulation in the dopamine and serotonin systems leading to depression, disinhibition, and addiction. Animals such as jelly fish have simple nervous systems formed by networks of neurons called Neural nets which co-ordinate movement of all the cells together. The first simple central nervous system formed in worms about 500 million years ago and consisted of about 300 nerves with a central processing area, clusters of nerves called ganglia and a cord. This regulated body functions, integrated sensory information, and coordinated movement of all the cells in the worm. In humans the spinal cord and brain stem performs these functions. |
 400 million years ago, the first complex brain formed in fish and reptiles. This coordinates the sleep wake cycle, sensory integration, and pain perception. It also coordinates the survival drives of thirst, hunger and reproduction, as well as automatic responses to danger including fright, flight, freeze and fawn. In humans the equivalent is the Hind Brain sometimes called the reptilian brain. Satisfying these survival drives produces dopamine release and the experience of pleasure. This powerful effect is the basis of addictions and over eating. | 8. The Mid - Brain - mammals
 Mammals evolved 200 million years ago with a new layer of the central nervous system – the Mid- Brain. Mammals are generally social animals and live and raise young as an extended family group. The mid brain mediates co-operative group behaviour. Processes of the mid-brain include emotions. Emotions are a conscious internal experience which are communicated between members of the group by body language, sound, and facial expression. These shared emotional states produce automatic behaviours that protect the group. When we feel fear, we all run, and anger makes us fight together against a common danger. When a member of our group is sad or hurt, we share the pain and try to help. Laughter, dancing, crying, and singing together bonds us. The mid brain stores and processes memories, enabling us and our group to avoid previous dangers and remember food sources and solutions to problems.
| 9. The Cerebral Cortex - primates and whales
 75 million years ago primates evolved a highly complex outer layer of the brain we call the cerebral cortex. This area integrates information from all areas of the central nervous system and body. Imagination, self awareness, creativity, morality, reasoning, and complex problem solving arise from the cerebral cortex. Humans evolved about three million years ago and our species - Homo Sapiens, 200,000 years ago. Humans are capable of complex abstract thinking, symbols, numbers, drawings, stories, and morals. We have a highly developed language centre. Until recently humans lived in small tribes of ten to fifty people. The world we evolved in was dangerous and food and resources were scarce. We depended on the people in our tribe for our survival. Disapproval makes us very anxious, and this is why social anxiety, fear of negative judgment and the need for approval is such a powerful drive. We are anxious creatures constantly watching out for danger and thinking the worse, even though our communities are generally very safe. In our evolutionally past food was scarce and seasonal, so we stored as much possible, ate everything we could and rested as much as possible. In our world of relative abundance our instincts drive us to buy more than we need, eat too much, and avoid exercise. When threatened we become territorial and can even attack other groups. We are naturally co-operative and compassionate towards members of our family or group. |
10. The Anthropocene - the age of humans
 When humans developed agriculture, we had a reliable food supply for many more people, and we were able to live in much larger groups - villages and cities – human colonies. In Australia first nations people developed agriculture and baking of grains more than 30,000 years ago. In the Middle east agriculture started about 12,000 years ago. Farmers grew grains, beans and tubers that could be stored. Land was irrigated to increase yield. Animals were domesticated for food and work. We needed to work out how much food we needed for winter so we developed mathematics and writing. Literal bean counting. We learnt to live in groups of hundreds, then thousands. We developed rules and taxes to allow us to co-operate, share and support each other. There are now nearly eight billion humans. We live in mega cities of tens of millions of people. The impact of our burning of fossil fuels for energy has changed the chemistry of the air and the ocean and warmed the whole globe by an average of more than 1.1 degrees C (with much higher temperatures closer to the poles). We have destabilised the climate system and this has resulted in more severe droughts, heat waves and bushfires, as well as more severe storms and floods. The clearing of land for industrial scale animal agriculture has deforested large areas, eroded soils, destroyed many ecosystems and polluted water ways. Industrial fishing has seen most commercial fish stocks collapse. This is the age of humans - The Anthropocene. Global warming, environmental damage, conflict, and inequity are distressing and often feel over whelming, but it is important to remember that for most people in most countries the situation is much better than it was a thousand years ago or even one hundred years ago. Most people have abundant food and resources. In 1910 - 82% of the global population lived in extreme poverty (less than $1.9 usd/day), in 2015 – it was 10%. This is a dramatic improvement, although we must urgently work towards completely eliminating poverty and creating a fair and equitable world. We are much safer. Pre – agriculture the murder rate was about 10%, today globally it is 0.1% of deaths.
Most people in most countries want –
Our massive human colony is forming a nervous system with rapid developments in communication technology – we are creating an Anthropocene Brain with co-ordinating structures such as the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Global collaboration has already produced computers, advanced telecommunications, eradication of smallpox and dramatic reduction in mortality from infections and childhood illness, mapping of the human genome, the moon landing, space exploration and an increasing understanding of quantum physics. Together we can do amazing things! We are making rapid advances in the key technologies of clean, renewable energy, transportation, communication technology, information processing and artificial intelligence (AI), food production and automation. These technologies are improving rapidly and becoming cheaper and more accessible. This will provide us with the means to provide safety, abundant food, resources, and clean energy for all people and eliminate the drivers of most conflict as well as the opportunity to preserve, protect and restore nature. This may sound like a utopian science fiction story, but the technologies needed to do this are already being used and are rapidly scaling up. Most people are concerned about global warming and damage to nature and wish to urgently address these problems. History shows us that we are at a technological and social tipping point. We can and will make rapid improvements. This is a time of exponential change. This can be very stressful, and we must be kind, respectful and fair to each other. It is essential to listen to different ideas and perspectives. This is the only way we can work together. “Peace cannot be taken by force; it can only be achieved by understanding” Albert Einstein
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