Logarithmic timeline

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Logarithmic timeline

A logarithmic timeline is a timeline

Timeline

A timeline is a graphical representation of a chronological sequence of events, also referred to as a chronology. It can also mean a schedule of activities, such as a timetable....
laid out according to a logarithmic scale

Logarithmic scale

A logarithmic scale is a scale that uses the logarithm of a physical quantity instead of the quantity itself.Presentation of data on a logarithmic scale can be helpful when the data covers a large range of values – the logarithm reduces this to a more manageable range....
. This necessarily implies a zero point

Zero Point

Zero Point is a point at the north side of Assistance Bay in Possession Bay, South Georgia. The name appears on a chart in the 1932 DI surveys at South Georgia, 1926-30....
and an infinity point, neither of which can be displayed. The most natural zero point is the Big Bang

Big Bang

The Big Bang is the physical cosmology model of the initial conditions and subsequent development of the universe supported by the most comprehensive and accurate explanations from current scientific method and observation....
, looking forward, but the most common is the ever-changing present, looking backward. (Also possible is a zero point in the present, looking forward to the infinite future.)

The idea of presenting history logarithmically goes back at least to 1932, when John B.

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Encyclopedia

A logarithmic timeline is a timeline

Timeline

Logarithmic scale

Zero Point

Big Bang

Cybernetics

Cybernetics is the interdisciplinary study of the structure of regulatory systems. Cybernetics is closely related to control theory and systems theory....
Heinz von Foerster

Heinz von Foerster

Heinz von Foerster was an Austrian American scientist combining physics and philosophy. Together with Warren McCulloch, Norbert Wiener, John von Neumann, Lawrence J....
, who used it to propose that memories naturally fade in an exponential manner. Logarithmic timelines have also been used in future studies to justify the idea of a technological singularity

Technological singularity

The technological singularity is a theoretical future point of unprecedented technological progress?typically associated with advancements in computer hardware or the ability of machines to improve themselves using artificial intelligence....
.

A logarithmic scale enables events throughout time to be presented accurately, but enables more events to be included closer to one end. Sparks explained this by stating:

As we travel forward in geological time the more complex is the evolution of life forms and the more are the changes to be recorded. Further, the most recent periods of evolution hold the most interest for us. We need therefore increasingly more space for our outline the nearer we approach modern times, and the logarithmic scale fulfills just this condition without any break in the continuity.

Two examples of such timelines are shown below, while a more comprehensive version (similar to that of Sparks' "Histomap") can be found at Detailed logarithmic timeline

Detailed logarithmic timeline

This timeline allows one to see the whole history of the universe, the Earth, and mankind in one table.Each row is defined in years ago, that is, years before the present calendar date, with the earliest times at the top of the chart....
.

Example of a forward-looking logarithmic timeline

In this table each row is defined in second

Second

The second , sometimes abbreviated sec., is the name of a units of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units SI base unit of time....
s after the Big Bang

Big Bang

Seconds after Big Bang	Period List of time periods The categorization of time into discrete named blocks is called periodization. This is a list of such named time periods as defined in various fields of study....
10^-45 to 10^-40	Planck Epoch Planck epoch In physical cosmology, the Planck epoch , named after Max Planck, is the earliest period of time in the history of the universe, from zero to approximately 10−43 seconds , during which quantum gravity were significant....
10^-40 to 10^-35	Planck Epoch
10^-35 to 10^-30	Epoch Timeline of the Big Bang This timeline of the Big Bang describes the events according to the widely accepted scientific theory of the Big Bang, using the cosmological time parameter of comoving coordinates.... of Grand Unification
10^-30 to 10^-25	Epoch of Grand Unification
10^-25 to 10^-20	Epoch of Grand Unification
10^-20 to 10^-15	Epoch of Grand Unification
10^-15 to 10^-10	Electroweak Epoch
10^-10 to 10^-5	Electroweak Epoch
10^-5 to 10⁰	Hadron Hadron In particle physics, a hadron is a bound state of quarks. Hadrons are held together by the strong interaction, similarly to how molecules are held together by the electromagnetic force.... Epoch
10⁰ to 10⁵	Lepton Lepton Leptons are a family of elementary particles, alongside quarks and gauge bosons . Like quarks, leptons are fermions and are subject to the electromagnetic force, the gravitational force, and weak interaction.... Epoch
10⁵ to 10¹⁰	Epoch of Nucleosynthesis Big Bang nucleosynthesis In physical cosmology, Big Bang nucleosynthesis refers to the production of nuclei other than those of H-1 during the early phases of the universe....
10¹⁰ to 10¹⁵	Epoch of Galaxies
10¹⁵ to 10²⁰	Epoch of Galaxies

The present time is approximately 4.3 × 10¹⁷ seconds after the Big Bang; the Sun and Earth formed about 2 × 10¹⁷ seconds after the Big Bang. 10²⁰ seconds is 3 million

Million

One million , or one thousand 1000 , is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The name is derived from Italian, where mille was 1,000, and 1,000,000 became milione, "a large thousand"....
million years (3 × 10¹² years) in the future.

Example of a backward-looking logarithmic timeline

In this table each row is defined in years ago, that is, year

Year

A year is the time between two recurrences of an event related to the orbit of the Earth around the Sun. By extension, this can be applied to any planet: for example, a "Martian year" is the time in which Mars completes its own orbit....
s before the present date

Calendar date

A date in a calendar is a reference to a particular day represented within a calendar system. The calendar date allows the specific day to be identified....
, with the most recent at the top of the chart. Each event is an occurrence of an observed or inferred process. (Note that the logarithmic scale never actually gets to zero.)

Years Ago	Period List of time periods The categorization of time into discrete named blocks is called periodization. This is a list of such named time periods as defined in various fields of study....	Event, Invention Invention An invention is the creation of a new configuration, composition of matter, device, or process. Some inventions are based on pre-existing models or ideas.... or Historical development
0 to 10^-2	now (the present moment, "now" is at 0 = 10^-8), previous 39 minutes, previous 6.6 hours, previous 3 days…	See, for example, the content of Today's events, Yesterday's and the day before.
10^-2 to 10^-1	last 36 days	See, for example, the content in Portal:Current events
10^-1 to 10⁰	last year	Podcasting Podcasting File:Podcasting icon.jpgA podcast is like a radio program except people can download a podcast to a portable media player and listen to it at their convenience.... , popularization of AMD64, more... 2007 2007 was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.2007 was designated as:* International Heliophysical Year....
10⁰ to 10¹	1995 to present: 1990s, 2000s	WWW World Wide Web The World Wide Web is a very large set of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet. With a Web browser, one can view Web pages that may contain writing, s, videos, and other multimedia and navigate between them using hyperlinks.... , Biotechnology Biotechnology Biotechnology is technology based on biology, especially when used in agriculture, food science, and medicine. United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity defines biotechnology as:... , Nanotechnology Nanotechnology Nanotechnology, shortened to "Nanotech", is the study of the control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally nanotechnology deals with structures of the size 100 nanometers or smaller, and involves developing materials or devices within that size.... , Global warming Global warming Global warming is the increase in the Instrumental temperature record of the Earth's near-surface air and the oceans since the mid-twentieth century and its projected continuation.... , more... Timeline of invention The timeline of historic inventions is a chronological list of particularly important or significant technological inventions.Note: Dates for inventions are often controversial....
10¹ to 10²	1900 to 1995: 20th century	Car to spacecraft Timeline of transportation technology Timeline of Transport technology... , Nuclear power Nuclear reactor A nuclear reactor is a device in which nuclear chain reactions are initiated, controlled, and sustained at a steady rate, as opposed to a nuclear bomb, in which the chain reaction occurs in a fraction of a second and is uncontrolled causing an explosion.... , Antibiotics, Electronics Electronics Electronics refers to the flow of charge through nonmetal electrical conductor , whereas electrical refers to the flow of charge through metal electrical conductor.... , Totalitarianism Totalitarianism Totalitarianism is a concept used to describe political systems whereby a state regulates nearly every aspect of public and private life. Totalitarian regimes or movements maintain themselves in political power by means of an official all-embracing ideology and propaganda disseminated through the state-controlled mass media, single-party st... , World war World war A world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span several continents, and last for multiple years.... s, Nuclear energy Nuclear energy Nuclear energy is released by the splitting or merging together of the Atomic nucleus of atom. The conversion of nuclear mass to energy is consistent with the mass-energy equivalence formula ?E = ?m.c?, in which ?E = energy release, ?m = mass defect, and c = the speed of light in a vacuum .... , more... Timeline of invention The timeline of historic inventions is a chronological list of particularly important or significant technological inventions.Note: Dates for inventions are often controversial....
10² to 10³	1000 to 1900, Middle Ages Middle Ages File:Karl 1 mit papst gelasius gregor1 sacramentar v karl d kahlen.jpgThe Middle Ages of European history are a period in history which lasted for roughly a millennium, commonly dated from the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century to the beginning of the Early Modern Period in the 16th century, marked by the division of Western Christi...	Renaissance Renaissance The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe.... , Printing press Printing press A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a medium , thereby transferring an image. The mechanical systems involved were first assembled in Germany by the goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg around 1439, based on existing screw-presses used to press cloth, grapes etc., and possibly to print wood... , Industrial Revolution Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, production, and transportation had a profound effect on the socioeconomics and cultural conditions in United Kingdom.... , Colonialism Colonialism Colonialism is the extension of a nation's sovereignty over Territory beyond its borders by the establishment of either settler or exploitation colony in which Indigenous people populations are direct rule, Population transfers, or Genocide.... , Firearms, Steam engine Steam engine File:Steam-powered fire engine.jpgA steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines have a long history, going back at least 2000 years.... , more... Timeline of invention The timeline of historic inventions is a chronological list of particularly important or significant technological inventions.Note: Dates for inventions are often controversial....
10³ to 10⁴	Start of Holocene Holocene The Holocene is a geological Epoch which began approximately 11,700 years ago . According to traditional geological thinking, the Holocene continues to the present.... , 8000 BC to AD 1000, Neolithic Neolithic The Neolithic period was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 Before the Christian Era in the Middle East that is traditionally considered the last part of the Stone Age.... , Bronze Age Bronze Age The Bronze Age is, with respect to a given prehistory, the period in that society when the most advanced metalworking included smelting copper and tin from naturally-occurring outcroppings of copper and tin ores, creating a bronze alloy by melting those metals together, and casting them into bronze artifact s.... , Iron Age Iron Age In archaeology, the Iron Age was the stage in the development of any people in which tools and weapons whose main ingredient was iron were prominent....	Cities City A city is an urban area with a high population density and a particular administrative, legal, or historical status.Large industrialized cities generally have advanced systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, house, and transportation and more.... , Empire Empire Empire derives from the Latin word imperium, denoting ?military command? in Roman. Politically, an empire is a geographically extensive group of states and peoples united and ruled either by a monarch or an oligarchy.... s, Writing Writing Writing is the representation of language in a textual Media through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and the recording of language via a non-textual medium such as Magnetic tape sound recording.... , Wheel Wheel A wheel is a circular device that is capable of rotating on its axis, facilitating movement or transportation whilst supporting a load , or performing labour in machines.... , Civilization Civilization A civilization is a society or culture group normally defined as a complex society characterized by the practice of agriculture and settlement in towns and city.... , Religions, Philosophy Philosophy Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, truth, beauty, justice, validity, mind, and language.... , more... Timeline of invention The timeline of historic inventions is a chronological list of particularly important or significant technological inventions.Note: Dates for inventions are often controversial....
10⁴ to 10⁵	Pleistocene Pleistocene The Pleistocene is the epoch from 1.8 million to 10,000 years Before Present covering the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and .... ends, Paleolithic Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic or "Old Stone" era is a Prehistory era distinguished by the development of the first stone tools, and covers roughly 99% of human history.... ends, Mesolithic Mesolithic The Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age was a period in the development of human technology in between the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age and the Neolithic or New Stone Age.... , beginning of Neolithic Neolithic The Neolithic period was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 Before the Christian Era in the Middle East that is traditionally considered the last part of the Stone Age....	Ice age Ice age The general term "ice age" or, more precisely, "glacial age" denotes a geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in an expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers.... , Music Music Music is an art form whose media is sound organized in time. Common elements of music are pitch , rhythm , dynamics , and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture .... , Art Art Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music and literature.... , Cave painting Cave painting Cave paintings are paintings on cave walls and ceilings, and the term is used especially for those dating to prehistoric times. The earliest known European cave paintings date to 32,000 years ago.... s, Dance Dance Dance is an art form that generally refers to Motion of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of Emotional expression, social social interaction or presented in a spirituality or performance setting.... , Tally stick, Medicine Medicine Medicine is the art and science of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness.... , Neandertal extinction, Flores Man extinction, advanced Homo erectus Homo Erectus *Homo Erectus* is a 2007 comedy film about cavemen that was written and directed by Adam Rifkin, and starring Giuseppe Andrews, Gary Busey, David Carradine, Ron Jeremy, Ali Larter, Hayes MacArthur, Adam Rifkin, and Talia Shire.... sub-species extinction, Ice age Ice age The general term "ice age" or, more precisely, "glacial age" denotes a geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in an expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers.... ends, Domestication Domestication Domestication or taming refers to the process whereby a population of living things becomes accustomed to a controlled environment by other plants or animals through a process of Selective breeding.... — Agriculture Timeline of agriculture and food technology Timeline of agriculture and food technology... and Animal husbandry Animal husbandry Animal husbandry, also called animal science, stockbreeding or simple husbandry, is the agriculture practice of animal breeding and raising livestock....
10⁵ to 10⁶	Pleistocene Pleistocene The Pleistocene is the epoch from 1.8 million to 10,000 years Before Present covering the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and .... , Paleolithic Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic or "Old Stone" era is a Prehistory era distinguished by the development of the first stone tools, and covers roughly 99% of human history....	Human Human A human being, also human or man, is a member of a species of bipedalism primates in the family Hominidae . Mitochondrial DNA evidence indicates that modern humans originated in east Africa about 200,000 years ago.... (150 KYA), Language Language A language is a form of symbol communication in which elements are combined to represents something other than themselves. Language can also refer to the use of such systems as a general phenomenon.... , Ice age Ice age The general term "ice age" or, more precisely, "glacial age" denotes a geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in an expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers.... , Spirituality Spirituality Spirituality, in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit, a concept closely tied to religion and faith, transcendence , or one or more Deity....
10⁶ to 10⁷	Pliocene Pliocene The Pliocene epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 1.806 million years before present.The Pliocene is the second epoch of the Neogene period in the Cenozoic era.... , Paleolithic Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic or "Old Stone" era is a Prehistory era distinguished by the development of the first stone tools, and covers roughly 99% of human history.... begins, Lower Paleolithic Lower Paleolithic The Lower Paleolithic is the earliest subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. It spans the time from around 1 E13 ss ago when the first evidence of craft and use of stone tools by Hominidaes appears in the current archaeological record, until around 1 E12 s ago when important evolutionary and technological changes ushered in the Mi...	Evolution of Homo sapiens (~2 MYA), Hunting — Gathering Hunter-gatherer A hunter-gatherer society is one whose primary List of subsistence techniques involves the direct procurement of edible plants and animals from the wild, foraging and hunting without significant recourse to the domestication of either.... , Tool Tool A broad definition of a tool is an entity used to interface between two or more domains that facilitates more effective action of one domain upon the other.... s, Fire Fire Fire is the oxidation of a combustion material releasing heat, light, and various Chemical reaction products such as carbon dioxide and water....
10⁷ to 10⁸	Late Cretaceous Cretaceous The Cretaceous , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide, is a geologic period from circa to million years ago . In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows on the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period.... , Cenozoic Cenozoic The Cenozoic Era...	Grasses, Mammal Mammal Mammals are a class of vertebrate animals whose name is derived from their distinctive feature, mammary glands, with which they feed their young.... s, Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event The Cretaceous?Tertiary extinction event, which occurred approximately , was a large-scale Extinction event of animal and plant species in a geologically short period of time....
10⁸ to 10⁹	Paleozoic Paleozoic The Paleozoic or Palaeozoic Era is the earliest of three geology Era of the Phanerozoic Eon . The Paleozoic spanned from roughly , and is subdivided into six period ; from oldest to youngest they are: the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian period, Carboniferous, and Permian... , Mesozoic Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era is one of three Geologic time scale of the Phanerozoic eon . The division of time into eras dates back to Giovanni Arduino, in the 18th century, although his original name for the era now called the 'Mesozoic' was 'Secondary' ....	Cambrian Cambrian The Cambrian is a geologic period that began about Mya at the end of the Proterozoic eon and ended about Ma with the beginning of the Ordovician period .... explosion of life, Animal Animal Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the Kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life.... s, Flowering plant Flowering plant The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of Embryophytes. The flowering plants and the gymnosperms are the only extant groups of Spermatophyte.... s, Permian-Triassic extinction event Permian-Triassic extinction event The Permian?Triassic extinction event, informally known as the Great Dying, was an extinction event that occurred , forming the boundary between the Permian and Triassic geologic periods....
10⁹ to 1.4×10¹⁰	Precambrian Precambrian The Precambrian is an informal name for the supereon comprising the eon of the geologic timescale that came before the current Phanerozoic eon.... , Cosmology	Big Bang Timeline of the Big Bang This timeline of the Big Bang describes the events according to the widely accepted scientific theory of the Big Bang, using the cosmological time parameter of comoving coordinates.... , Stars and galaxies Galaxy formation and evolution The study of galaxy formation and evolution is concerned with the processes that formed a heterogeneous universe from a homogeneous beginning, the formation of the first galaxies, the way galaxies change over time, and the processes that have generated the variety of structures observed in nearby galaxies.... , Life, Earth Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in diameter, mass and density. It is also referred to as the World and Wiktionary:Terra.Note that by International Astronomical Union convention, the term "Terra" is used for naming extensive land masses, rather...

External links

from Planck time
Planck time

In physics, the Planck time , is the unit of time in the system of natural units known as Planck units. It is the time required for light to travel, in a vacuum, a distance of 1 Planck length....
to the lifespan of the universe

Logarithmic timeline

Example of a forward-looking logarithmic timeline

Example of a backward-looking logarithmic timeline

See also

External links