David Christian

David Christian (D.Phil. Oxford, 1974) is by training a historian of Russia and the Soviet Union. In 1989, he began teaching courses on 'Big History' at Macquarie University, surveying the past on the largest possible scales, including those of biology and astronomy. David is the author of ‘Maps of Time’, the first text on Big History. He recently co-authored ‘Big History: Between Nothing and Everything.’ David is a Distinguished Professor of History at Macquarie University, founder with Bill Gates of the Big History Project, and Director of the Big History Institute.

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Creating Innovation (Coursera)

The third course of the specialization CREATING INNOVATION will teach you what is at the core of all innovations that solve complex problems and how to foster methods to make big breakthroughs possible. It advances your knowledge of your own field by teaching you to look at it in [...]

Evaluating Problems (Coursera)

The second course of the specialization EVALUATING PROBLEMS will show you how humans think and how to utilize different disciplinary approaches to tackle problems more effectively. It advances your knowledge of your own field by teaching you to look at it in new ways. EVALUATING PROBLEMS is constructed [...]

Analysing Complexity (Coursera)

The first course of the specialization ANALYZING COMPLEXITY will teach you what unifying patterns lie at the core of all complex problems. It advances your knowledge of your own field by teaching you to look at it in new ways. ANALYZING COMPLEXITY is constructed in the following way: Week [...]

Solving Complex Problems Capstone (Coursera)

From the very start of the specialization, your assignments will be geared toward tackling a complex issue of your choice that you face in your career path, industry, or field. Each phase of the course builds up to a briefing paper that analyzes, evaluates, and attempts to solve a [...]

Big History: Connecting Knowledge (Coursera)

We currently face unprecedented challenges on a global scale. These problems do not neatly fall into disciplines. They are complicated, complex, and connected. Join us on this epic journey of 13.8 billion years starting at the Big Bang and travelling through time all the way to the future. Discover [...]