Image:PPTParadigmShiftsFrr15Events.jpg

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Courtesy of Ray Kurzweil and Kurzweil Technologies, Inc.

[edit] Description

Original caption: Fifteen views of evolution. Major paradigm shifts in the history of the world, as seen by fifteen different lists of key events. There is a clear trend of smooth acceleration through biological evolution and then technological evolution.

This graph, done by Ray Kurzweil, is based on data compiled by Theodore Modis, who "attempted to develop a precise mathematical law that governs the evolution of change and complexity in the Universe". To reduce bias, he compiled thirteen multiple independent lists of major events in the history of biology and technology from the following sources:

John R. Skoyles, Dorian Sagan, Up From Dragons: The Evolution of Human Intelligence, Ballantine Books, 1989, exact dates provided by Modis.
American Museum of Natural History, exact dates provided by Modis.
The data set "important events in the history of life" in the Encyclopædia Britannica
Educational Resources in Astronomy and Planetary Science (University of Arizona) (book reference link is offline but see Internet Archive)
Paul D. Boyer, biochemist, winner of 1997 Nobel prize, private communications, exact dates provided by Modis.
J.D. Barrow and J. Silk, "The Structure of the Early Universe", Scientific American, 242.4 (April 1980):118-28
Jean Heidmann, Cosmic Odyssey: Observatoir de Paris, trans. Simon Mitton (Cambridge University Press, 1989)
J. William Schopf, ed., Major Events in the History of Life, symposium, 1991
Philip Tobias, Major Events in the History of Mankind", chap.7 in Schopf, Major Events in the History of Life'
David Nielson, Lecture on Molecular Evolution I" (http://drnelson.utmem.edu/evolution.html) and "Lecture Notes for Evolution II" (http://drnelson.utmem.edu/evolution2.html_
Göran Burenhult, ed. The First Humans: Humans Origins and History to 10,000 BC, HarperSanFrancisco, 1993
D. Johanson and B. Edgar, From Lucy to Language, Siemens & Schuster, 1996
R. Coren, The Evolutionar Trajectory: The Growth of Information in the History and Furure of Earth, World Futures General Evolution Studies, Gordon and Breach,, 1998

[edit] Reference

Ray Kurzweil, The Singularity Is Near : When Humans Transcend Biology, Viking Adult, 2005, ISBN 0670033847. Graph appears on p.19, description is p.18-20 plus notes on p.501-502.

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