Exhibition
A Walk through Time
… from stardust to us
An exhibition that inspires, provokes and makes you reflect
The exhibit consists of 52 fascinating, colorful panels depicting significant events and themes in the history of planet Earth. Short scientific texts from the fields astronomy, geology and biology give you an understanding of the almost 5 billion-year evolution of Earth and life on it.
Begin your «Walk Through Time» with the formation of the Sun and the Earth, some 4.6 billion years ago – and about 9 billion years after the Big Bang. Every step transports you roughly 4 million years in time. Stroll for about one kilometer along the chronologically placed panels until you reach present time. The distance between panels reflects the time between events. The further along you walk, the shorter the distance between panels. Microbial life for instance appears about 150m into the walk and remains the only life-form for most of it. Humans appear merely a meter ago.
Taking this Walk Through Time will give you new understanding of the wonderful and wondrous history of how life developed and a feeling of awe for the incredible complexity and beauty of life on Earth.
Every step transports you through about 4 million years in time.
You marvel at the four billion years it took for life to evolve on this Earth and might wonder why this was possible on our planet.
We ask ourselves «Are we the only living beings in the universe?», «How do we know about the past?» or «Are there other forms of intelligence somewhere out there?» The exhibit inspires thoughts about the future of our planet and the eco-system.
One thing becomes clear: We, along with all other living beings, are the product of an astounding evolutionary process. Every living being is related to every other living being through our genes, our planet comprises one comprehensive, intricately woven life system.
The exhibit wants to inspire feelings of awe and admiration for the complexity and beauty of the processes that have made life possible over billions of years, and a greater appreciation for the growing impact the human species is having on the future of all the myriad forms of life, including our own.
The original one-mile «A Walk Through Time … from Stardust to us» was created by Dr. Sidney Liebes and a team of scientists at the Hewlett Packard Laboratories under the HP Company’s sponsorship.
The Hewlett-Packard Company has gifted the Walk Through Time — from stardust to us to the non-profit Foundation for Global Community, Palo Alto, California.
The Swiss Foundation «Stiftung Drittes Millennium» has produced a German version of the Walk in 2001 and took over the global rights to the exhibition in 2009. In 2010, a updated and shortened version was developed in German. Since it’s inception, the exhibition has been shown in several languages and in many countries with great success.
The «Die Stiftung Drittes Millennium» lends out the mobile version as an open-air exhibition for free during the summer months.
Transport, insurance and marketing costs are the responsibility of the respective exhibitors.
Advertising has to be spread widely to ensure that as many visitors as possible can enjoy the Walk.
Original Version in English
The english exhibition contains 89 panels and can be visited on Isle La Motte, Vermont, where it is on permanent loan from the Foundation for the Third Millennium.
The original panels can be found here: http://globalcommunity.org/wtt/walk_menu/index.html
Further links on the topic:
www.footprintnetwork.org
www.earthcharterinaction.org
Previous locations
«The Deep Time Walk» mobile guide emerged from the amalgamation of two projects. «A Walk Through Time» was created in California in 1997 and «The Deep Time Walk» was created at Schumacher College, Devon, in 2008.
Step back in time and experience Earth history like never before. The award-winning Deep Time Walk is a ground-breaking tool enabling anyone, anywhere to take a walking audio history of our planet..
- Walk 4.6km through 4.6 billion years of deep time, each metre = 1 million years.
- Learn about key concepts from Earth’s long evolution.
- Understand our species’ common ancestral heritage and interconnectedness with all life.
- Comprehend the ecological impact of humans in a blink of a geological eye.
Contact
Project lead: Iris Wehberg M.A.
Address: Ottenser Hauptstr. 39a
22765 Hamburg – Germany
Tel.: +49(0)40-3980 3945
Email: wehberg@stiftung3m.org