(Based on book of that name by Eric J. Chaisson.)

The basic claim of the book is that evolution is the main feature of everything in the Universe, from galaxies to genes, and the free energy (negentropy) gradients needed for this are derived ultimately from the expansion of the Universe. Although the author does not accept accelerated expansion, as recently discussed, he claims that steady or decelarated expansion would be sufficient to supply these gradients. New ones are opened up by the expansion as old ones are closed by the drift to entropy. So the arrow of time is ultimately due to the expansion of the Universe, essentially a continuation of the Big Bang in slow motion.

Only steady-state structures far from thermodynamic equilibrium (prigoginian dissipative structures) can make use of free energy gradients, by being open to a through flow of matter and energy. However, not only living cells and organisms are such open steady-state (homeostatic) structures, but galaxies, stars, and planets are as well.

He classifies the temporal steps in cosmic evolution in diagrams with extensive discussion. Roughly, these time sequences in the evolution of the Universe are outlined below. The first division is the Radiation Era, up to about 300,000 years after the Big Bang, when radiation predominated over matter, and the two were closely entangled; only at the end, the transition to the Matter Era, did they separate and the Universe suddenly became transparent. From then on, in the Matter Era, matter came to predominate over energy (fermions over bosons?). This was the time when first galaxies, then stars, and finally planets formed. This was then followed by the Life Era on some planets, e.g. on Earth, when cells and multicellular organisms flourished. Of course, we are still in that era.

Further divisions in the three eras are indicated. The Radiation Era (the earliest) is shown below, along with the corresponding times and temperatures.

Radiation Era	chaos	< 10 -24 sec	> 10 20 °K
	hadron	< 10 -3 sec	10 15 °K
	lepton	< 10 2 sec	10 10 °K
	nucleus	<10 4 yrs	10 7 °K

The Matter Era can be similarly divided.

Matter Era	atom	< 10 6 yrs	10 4 °K
	galaxy	< 10 9 yrs	10 2 °K
	stellar	< 10 10 yrs	3 °K

He does not indicate such a division in the Life Era.

For stars in the Matter Era, he gives the following scale, with the numbers being the free energy density flow in ergs per second per gram:

Red dwarf (10 ³), protostar, Sun (10 ⁴), red giant (10 ⁵), presupernova (10 ⁶).

Similarly for satellites and planets, we have

Moon (0.5), Mercury/Mars (?), Earth/Venus (10), Jupiter (30), hydrothermal vent on Earth (a possible source of life) (?), climasphere on Earth (less than the previous).

For the Life Era, we have the following epochs:

Chemical	(prebiotic) when macromolecules form.
Biological	plants (grass 10 4, pine 10 6, sugarcane 10 7; animals (reptiles 10 8, mammals10 10, birds 10 11).
Cultural	hunt/gather 10 6, agriculture 10 8, industry 10 9.
Technology	examples in aircraft engines.

Note the step-up in animals’ free energy flows from the cold-blooded to the warm-blooded; also a step-up from plants to animals.

This illustrates a very impressive story. What will happen to the Universe in the far-distant future, especially if it is expanding at an ever-accelerated rate? Will further eras open up, beyond Life? This is a very different picture from the heat death of the Universe predicted in the 19th century when entropy was first defined.