Released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 22, 2008 I am finally getting around to watching what amounts to an almost five hour “biography” on the Earth. Originally broadcast in the UK on BBC in November 2007, “Earth – The Biography” is narrated by Dr. Iain Stewart, a Scottish geologist with a heavy accent that may actually turn off some viewers. Presented in conjunction with the National Geographic Channel this five part doc has some spectacular visuals as it sets out to explain how the Earth was created, where it is today and where it will be in the future.
The biography is broken up into five different parts ranging from Volcanoes, Atmosphere, Ice, Oceans and ending with the theory driven fifth part called Rare Planet. Based on the names alone it should be pretty easy to figure out what each part is about. On top of phenomenal camera work giving us looks at portions of the Earth rarely seen, such as the inside of a glacier, this biography also combines computer generated looks at the way the Earth works giving us a better understanding of why things are the way they are. However, I think some people may take exception to the way some of the theories are presented as fact, especially if you subscribe to the seven days theory, because the Rare Earth Theory presented here doesn’t exactly follow that pattern.
You will see how the Earth first began as a giant molten rock before crashing into its twin, “Theia”. The result of the collision caused the Earth to grow in size as it absorbed its twin and the remaining debris orbiting the lifeless planet collided together to make up what is now the moon. Without any water the Earth could not sustain life, but a theory presented shows that comets crashed into the Earth and the icy balls brought to the planet much of the Earth’s water as it slowly became what it is today.
We all learned about the movements of tectonic plates in grade school and it is shown in action in this biography as well and explanations of carbon-dioxide and the Earth’s ability to manage the growing amount of the gas is also taken into consideration. Deforestation is tackled, increasing ice melts in Greenland and every other concern you hear about so often are touched upon.
Even if the creation theories bother you and don’t coincide with what you believe to be the case the rest of the information presented is wildly informative. Sky diving from deep into the Earth’s atmosphere and trips inside of glaciers are highly entertaining. How Jupiter acts as a protector of Earth or it would be consistently hammered by meteorites is just one example of the doc’s ability to show how so many things have worked out just right in order for Earth to exist the way it does. Why does the New York skyline have that dip in the height of its buildings? What effect can humans have on a Bolivian forest in only 20 years? A lot of answers are presented here and in less than five hours time you will feel a lot smarter.
The obvious goal of this production was to bring audiences in with a flash-bang technique. Sure, pretty visuals always attract an audience and theories on how the Earth was born are equally intriguing, but the stand-out here is the presentation. Combining the use of computer generated simulations, time lapse photography, quick zooms, Michael Bay style editing and a techno-rock soundtrack all join up with Stewart’s utter excitement to tell you about ice, volcanoes and air give you a nature feature far from the norm. The best description would be information while entertaining, and it works.
If you are a doubter of the theories in this doc you can check here for more on Theia and a 2006 article about comets and the origins of water on Earth can be found here. Of course, speculation on the Earth’s beginnings are always going to be just that, speculation, however science has done a lot to search for exact reasoning and this biography does a fantastic job of presenting it all in a way that is both awe inspiring and entertaining. I wouldn’t be surprised if it became a staple in many classrooms in the future.
Strangely enough, considering all the concern over global warming and even the problems presented in this biography Stewart doesn’t seem too concerned. At the end of it all he says that while humans are concerned about the fate of the Earth they really should be more concerned about the fate of humans themselves. I wonder what Al Gore would think of that.
For me this biography not only teaches viewers more about the Earth, it will also have you questioning much more than that. So often in features such as this we are given timelines into the future of where the Earth will be and what it will be like. The one question that never gets answered is where will we be? This question can be asked from just about every angle including religious beliefs to evolution, both offer answers, but neither can be considered entirely conclusive, at least not for me. I am fascinated by the idea of a beginning and an end and when you are talking about the beginning and the end there are so many ways to look at it, which one is the right way? I certainly don’t know and I doubt I ever will and it is supremely frustrating.
If you are interested in picking up a copy of “Earth – The Biography” you can buy it on Blu-ray here and on 2-Disc DVD right here.
