The Life of Earth

The Life of Earth from Smithsonian Channel is an enthralling 2019 documentary series that combines stunning visual effects with cutting-edge computer graphics to explore the complex and deeply intertwined biography of our planet and the life it has nurtured.

The show puts a lens on the extraordinary tale of Earth as a living entity in its own right, spanning the breathtaking fields of geology, biology, and cosmology to sketch its multi-billion year journey. This visually immersive journey is a quest to understand how the Earth came into existence, how life grew on it, and how these life forms over billions of years have, in turn, shaped the planet. It’s a truly stunning and revealing portrait of our planet’s past, present, and future.

The Life of Earth consists of two hour-long episodes, "The Birth of Earth" and "The Age of Humans". Using again striking and mesmerizing visual effects, the show manages to transport its viewers back in time to understand the processes and phenomena that have shaped the Earth over an almost unimaginable span of time.

In "The Birth of Earth", viewers are carried back to the unearthly violent birth of our planet 4.5 billion years ago. The cyclical nature of the Earth, the planet’s changing geological identity shaped by volcanic eruptions, ice ages, meteor impacts, tidal movements, mutation of species and shifts in climates, all analysed from perspectives of biology, geology, and astronomy, forms the crux of the episode. It explores how Earth transformed from a molten sphere into a planet capable of supporting life, revealing the incredible sequence of events that led to an explosion of life forms.

In the second part, "The Age of Humans", the show shifts the focus onto the development and impact of Homo sapiens on the planet. It dives into the story of our species and the monumental changes we have produced in a geological blink of an eye. Contrasting our species' relativity short time on Earth to the scale of natural history, it helps the viewers comprehend the profound impact we've had on the planet's flora, fauna and physical features, often in devastating ways.

Produced by Smithsonian Channel, known for its wealth of bias-free information and high-quality, insightful productions, The Life of Earth lives up to its reputation by delivering the vast length of planetary history in a captivating, empowering and palatable form.

It's a truly cosmic portrait of our home, drawing on the latest scientific findings and a rich tapestry of understanding about the universe to craft a tale that is at once awe-inspiring, humbling and concerning. Viewers spring from the primal chaos that created the Earth through the formation of an atmosphere, oceans, and the first inklings of life. They swing through epochs adorned and defined by the evolution of plants and animals, the rise, and fall of dinosaurs, to the emergence of early hominids and our ancestors.

The presenter and narrator, with his palpable enthusiasm and clear, straightforward explanations, help lift this exploration from academia to a level that's comprehensible and enjoyable for anyone interested in our planet's history and future. Yet, it never becomes simplistic or trite. The harmony of narrative voice, background score and splendid graphics sets a tone of wonder and curiosity.

Beyond just being a scientific examination, The Life of Earth also investigates existential questions about our planet's fragility, the bounds of life's resilience, and the future of life—including our own—in a universe that's always in flux. It reminds us that the Earth's history is intrinsically linked with the evolution of life on its surface, posing significant thought-provoking questions about our role and responsibilities in its future.

In summary, The Life of Earth from Smithsonian Channel is not just an astonishing journey through the past, but a much-needed reminder of how every creature, including us, is immensely lucky to call this beautiful blue planet our home. An eye-opening and intriguing watch, it leaves viewers marvelling at the resilience and ingenuity of life, and calls upon each one of us to cherish and protect the only home we've known.