Birth of the Earth

How did the Earth evolve to support life.

Our planet now supports a huge diversity of living creatures requiring very special conditions, but what was the series of events that brought this unique set of conditions together? What did it take to make a world that would support human life? Naked Science takes an imaginary ‘human’ time traveller on a journey back to the moment of formation of our solar system. We meet the scientists who are carrying out their own detective work, uncovering the clues around the world today into what our planet was like 4 and a half billion years ago.

Our journey begins with the astonishing story of how a giant cloud of interstellar dust and gas collapsed to form the sun and planets. We discover that the intense heat of the early Earth created a molten iron core. This generated a magnetic shield around our planet that protects us, to this day, from the sun’s deadliest particles.

Many of the features we take for granted on our living planet were forged in the most violent event in our planet’s history. Early in its life, the Earth collided with another planet. Planetary Scientist Robin Canup has modelled the impact using supercomputers. She reveals that the resulting fireball was so energetic it melted the Earth and created the moon. This dramatic impact gave us our tides and seasons.

We wouldn’t have life today without water. But where our water came from is a mystery that has long puzzled scientists. At a NASA research laboratory, Michael Zolensky studies a recently discovered meteorite that supports the view that water came from space.

For the first half of its history the Earth had an atmosphere of methane and carbon dioxide we would find impossible to breathe. One clue as to how the earth acquired its oxygen can be found in Australia. Shark Bay in Western Australia is home to strange bacterial mounds called stromatolites. The bacteria in these objects are pumping out oxygen. A few hundred miles away geologist Martin Van Kranendonk shows us a fossil stromatolite, the world’s oldest fossil. The evidence suggests that these strange objects are responsible for creating the air we breathe.

[jessiered]

Who is here just because they find space incredibly interesting 🙋‍♀️

[daverave]

Earth wasn't formed to suit us. We were formed to suit Earth.

[lianne]

Although I am intensely obsessed with the cosmos etc, I find these the best sleep aids ever, due to trying to fathom it all and overusing my brain

[Demodex]

Earth: "Jupiter, why are you shooting me?!"
Jupiter: "Sshhh. This is for your own good."

[cesartrujillo]

These documentaries are more informative than any TV program

[jerichocarena]

I'm here because of my Geology class but I learned a lot and helped me aced my quiz! The field of space science is very interesting.

[chrisdooley]

I can’t get enough of these astronomy documentaries. So many questions and so many answers still to be found. Thank god for YT and these free shows. There’s no excuse for people not being better educated anymore lol

[shogun]

It's because of channels like Naked Science and videos like this one that are the primary reasons that I use this platform.
The incredible amount of work, the research, the Filming, the editing, the special
And we get to view them for free.
Thank you. Great job, guys.

[crystalwater]

It makes you realize how small and insignificant we really are.

[conspiraciesarejustgreatst]

Hahahaha I wanna meet the person who said "let's put in a clip of a naked baby squirming through a pool"

[Rico-Suave_]

great documentary, one of the better documentary, I would give it an A+, very well organized

[imyggul]

The introductions for every scientist remind me of the dramatic indian opera soap editing lol

[matusknives]

This is definitely one of the better documentaries on this topic out there. It does not just tell a story, it actually uses scientific evidence to argue its points.

[SamSam-wscz]

It’s so amazing earth gave human all this equipment to study and search on himself

[leep]

Is anybody else watching this just to go to sleep???😃😴

[rogwarrior]

On a 12 hour clock of 4.5 Billion years humans have been around for 19 seconds...amazing. Our only safe haven, time to take care of it and all creatures who live on her.

[shootingblankzz]

I like to think another species million light years away are making the exact same video

[sallymay]

I love scients its videos like this that keeps me awake bcuz it's so dam interesting I cant turn it off.

[baitreview]

Think about it, we a a bunch of atoms perfectly put together through billions of years of adaptation in such a complex way that we are able to uncover the laws of the universe and contemplate our own existence by translating our thoughts and perceptions through the form of numbers and words.

[htnaku]

Great Documentary I have ever seen explains everything step by step in simple way how the Earth was formed.