Some time ago, at M&M, I gave a tutorial on electron diffraction. This turned out to be a more foolish enterprise than I had initially imagined. When it came time to prepare it, I found that there was just far too much to say. At the start of the tutorial I asserted that it would be easier to give a complete history of mankind in 30 seconds than to give a tutorial on electron diffraction in one hour. At the end of the tutorial, to prove my point, I gave a history of mankind in thirty seconds. I have expanded this idea recently to be more comprehensive. Now I have a history of the universe, which takes me forty-five seconds to read (I am a slow reader).

Here it is:

10¹⁰ years agoThe Universe started

10⁹ years agoLife began

10⁸ years agoMammals

10⁷ years agoThe first apes

10⁶ years agoHumanoids

10⁵ years agoMankind and language

10⁴ years agoCities and writing

10³ years agoManufacturing

10² years agoModern science

10¹ years agoMan on the moon

10⁰ years agoThe Kardashians