An overview of the unifying idea of Earth system science; this approach views Earth as an integrated network comprising the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere; sampling the complex interactions between these realms.
Pondering how the great antiquity of Earth is discovered; the observations that lead to the concept of deep time; in the process, they develop the tools that can read the story in rocks; ending with an analogy that puts human time into perspective.
Delving into biostratigraphy, the study of fossil sequences in rock strata; its discovery solves the problem of correlating sedimentary strata from different regions; this leads to the geological time scale, initiating a revolution in Earth science.
How paleontologists interpret fossils to reconstruct the traits and environments of extinct life forms; some of the pitfalls of the field; these include cultural biases that can lead to doubtful conclusions, such as that of the Tyrannosaurus rex.
The history of science is marked by ideas that are before their time; Alfred Wegener's concept of continental drift is revived in the theory of plate tectonics; exploring the role that fossils play in this original grand unifying theory of geology.
Visiting Earth's earliest epoch; focusing on questions such as how the solar system forms; why people live on a layered, differentiated planet; what these events and the moon's formation have to do with the evolution and development of life on Earth.
Stuart Sutherland
Host
