Earth Story [DVD]

I gave up biology and chemistry in my fourteenth year. I carried on with physics but failed the `O' level. I did well in geography, but my interests at school were more geared towards arts and languages. At university, I did some modules on the philosophy of science and on geology. And I have always had an intuitive regard for landscape history, in which geology is a prime ingredient. In addition, from childhood days I have pondered on the creation of the universe and of the Earth.Why am I telling you this? Because I think it is important to know where I am coming from in order to appreciate the review that follows, to judge whether I am being too naïve. I do not have a detailed scientific background to comment on the veracity or otherwise of the theories proposed in this series. On a number of occasions, it seemed to me that supposed causal links relying on chemistry and physical forces were not described in enough detail for me to grasp in any depth. But on a general level, the series met my intellectual expectations.I learned a lot; no, I learned a hell of a lot! I learned just how fragile our life is on this planet, how it could quite easily be wiped out by some cosmic event or by an eruption of one of those huge concentrations of magma that exist under, say Iceland or Yellowstone Park. I also learned how much our evolutionary development has been subject to so many chance conjunctions or oppositions of factors. But I guess the real lesson learned is the one which its presenter and `guru' expresses at the end of his journey, namely how the relationship between life itself and the planet that we occupy has ensured the continuing presence of living organisms, for example in keeping the planet cool enough for evolution to do its work.The presenter is Aubrey Manning, Emeritus Professor of Biology at the University of Edinburgh, and what a marvellously engaging character he proves to be. Not at all patronising or with his head in the clouds, he has a wonderful tendency to appear as if he is taking you by the hand and slowly and surely demonstrating to you, in the company of other learned colleagues outside his own area of study, the fascinating insights to be gleaned from the Earth's story. Flying all over the world, reporting from Greenland, South Africa, Australia of the mid-Atlantic ridge, his well-intoned words are accompanied by superb photography and stirring music (composed by Deborah Mollison).The series was originally broadcast in 1998. Whilst the final two episodes raise the spectre of carbon dioxide levels and climate change, there is no direct link made with present worries about global warming. Indeed, the arguments used might lead one to conclude that the vast differences in the planet's temperature merely show present high levels to be part of a natural cycle. But this series is a history covering huge and unimaginable time-spans, and is not really concerned with the minute timescale - a mere 250 years - that has seen the onset of the industrial revolution to today. It would have been interesting to have had maybe some kind of DVD extra in which Aubrey Manning might expand on this issue. Perusing entries on Google indicates that his concerns are more urgent than may have previously been the case.Each of the eight episodes was produced and/or directed by a different person, so whereas there is an overarching conception throughout the series, there are noticeable differences between each programme. Some are better than others. But overall I was extremely impressed with this marvellous series. One of my friends, who is a senior lecturer in geology, also rates it highly. You will too.

In the interests of disclosure, I love Earth Sciences and have read and studied various aspects of the subject for a number of years; therefore, I am somewhat biased in favour of the topic.In recent years, Professor Ian Stewart has brought a number of programmes to television such as Rise of the Continents, How Earth Made Us, How to Grow a Planet and as a professional geologist and media communicator, he has really done an excellent job of breathing life into a subject which many might view as rather boring. In fact, the subjects that make up Earth Science are anything but boring; but that's just my opinion.However, prior to `The Rock Star' Stewart coming onto our screens, a more reserved and somewhat traditional presenter, but nonetheless most engaging with his enthusiasm delved into the world of Earth Sciences with an outsider's eyes; those of a professional biologist, namely, Professor Aubrey Manning.Sometimes, scientific presenters can move outside their areas of core competence with dire consequences. They either end up making silly mistakes, which anyone familiar with the subject quickly identifies or they try too hard to convince us that they have become `instant experts.' Aubrey Manning does neither. He approaches his role as an experienced scientist being led through a number of topics in Earth Sciences which he does not pretend are anything less than amazing to discover their inner secrets. His guides are specialists in their respective areas, whether they are oceanographers, geologists, palaeontologists, climatologists, volcanologists or other biologists and others. Credit must also go to the producers and directors who put the story together which is mirrored in a book by the same title (which is well worth buying if you want to look in more detail at some of the topics discussed on screen).The series consists of 8 episodes which are each approximately 50 minutes long. Although a common thread throughout the episodes involves the story told by the rocks of Earth; the story told is much more. The episodes are:1. The Time Travellers2. The Deep3. Ring of Fire4. Journey to the Centre of the Earth5. The Roof of the World6. The Big Freeze7. The Living Earth8. A World ApartThe sequence of episodes allows Manning to lead us on his journey from an appreciation of the background historical development of our scientific understanding of the earth, starting in the 18th century and coming up to the end of the 20th century with its modern interpretations and theories.As Manning says towards the end of the final episode, his journey, gives one an appreciation of the complex and symbiotic kinds of relationship which exist between our atmosphere, the hydrosphere of our oceans, seas and rivers (both in liquid and ice form), the biosphere both on land and in the water and crucially, the lithosphere - the world of rocks involving plate tectonics, mountain building and erosion, deep ocean seafloor spreading and many other issues. Although these topics are central to many more advanced study courses on Earth Science, the Earth Story provides a visually stunning and interesting overview of how this relationship came to be discovered during the past few hundred years. It also helps one to appreciate that through Deep Time ranging back to Earth's early formation some 4.6 billion years ago, Earth has been in a process of continual change, which is ongoing all around us.Although as humans we can never experience such deep time directly, the episodes presented in Earth Story help one to appreciate the complex dance that is taking place on our planet. If the subject is relatively new territory, it can open one's eyes to a dynamic environment that consists of a number of highly sensitive systems. If the topic is well known to you, the programme helps bring alive, topics which may be less easy to visualise within the text of a book.Although the programme was originally transmitted on television back in 1998, one should not be put off by thinking it is somehow dated. Whilst it may lack some of the fancier computer generated graphics available in 2015, the illustrative graphics are clear and adequate. More importantly, the range of places visited in the programme from the tops of mountains and volcanoes to the bottom of deep ocean trenches (in both documentary footage) and interviews of scientists in such locations by Manning provide the viewer with an illuminating and powerful overview of our Earth Story.For this reason, I still rank the programme as "One of the Best Earth Science Popular TV Presentations" still in existence today.