Today, natural history museums and popular science books paint a picture of the evolution of the universe that began with a big bang about 14 billion years ago. Atoms were formed from elementary particles such as quarks and electrons, which initially formed amorphous clouds of gas, from which large-scale structures such as galaxies with their stars, planets, moons, and other celestial bodies emerged. On Earth - and probably on other life-supporting planets as well - the first primitive life forms were formed over billions of years from complex organic molecules, from which multicellular organisms evolved, including humans.

• The origin of life on earth
• The genesis of the genetic code
• The emergence of consciousness
• The development of human intelligence
• The formation of free will

However, contemporary science is differentiated into many disciplines and specialized subjects, each with its own approach. Overarching connections and fundamental principles cannot be identified in this way. As Goethe so aptly put it in his Faust:  

Who wants to recognize and describe the living,
First seeks to exorcize the spirit which is life giving;
Then he has the parts in his hand,
Missing, alas! only the spirit's band.

The fundamental principles of the structure of the world and its natural-historical development can only be recognized if an overarching approach is chosen. The systems theory approach appears to be the most suitable for this purpose. The editorial team of welträtsel.org aims to demonstrate the potential of this approach through the articles on the site.