How the Earth Was Made

First off I want to say for those who are strict followers of the Bible, you will have many issues with this presentation because it presents scientific evidence that our Earth is about 4.5 billion years old. It also presents evidence that life here is a result of evolution.

This 90-minute film follows the best scientific guess at a timeline for the initial creation of the Earth 4.5 billions years ago as space debris from the Big Bang began to accumulate. I use the word "guess" because we don't have videotapes or eye witnesses from back then, and can only piece together the puzzle from bits of evidence gathered over the years. But it seems that the "guess" is probably pretty accurate.

We see that the early Earth was a hot mass of gases and molten materials at temperatures almost like what our Sun is today. As that mass cooled and water was captured from various meteorites and asteroids that must have bombarded the Earth. Slowly, over the billions of years that followed the Earth became what it is now, with land masses and an oxygen-rich atmosphere that supports life.

As we watch the film we see the various Earth cycles depicted, including periods where the whole world was covered in ice. We see the impact of volcanic activity, of glaciers, of mass extinctions. We learn that today, and the recent centuries, we are living in a period between ice ages, of relatively constant and life-friendly environmental conditions.

Super movie.

This is an informative and brilliantly presented documentary as it takes us on a ride through time covering almost any major topic on the evolution of the planet Earth and peeks at what the future possibly holds. It lacks on certain aspects though like people have pointed out different topics that didn't get the devotion they deserved such as the effect of human advancement on climate change etc. I agree with them and in addition I found one question conspicuous by its absence. It tells us how the atmosphere of Carbon Dioxide engendered at first which later got filled with Oxygen but it doesn't even mention where did all the Nitrogen come from that 78% of our atmosphere is composed of. But you can't really blame them, after all this is only a one and a half hour video.

All in all it was a great documentary, warts and all, and I will recommend it to anyone who is curious to know about our planet's past.

Disclaimer: Although I have lauded this film, I don't have expertise in geology and can't confirm the accuracy of the data presented in this documentary.

Whether its the pilot from 2007 or an individual episode of the 2009 series, I love love love the History Channel's How the Earth Was Made. These documentaries take the 4.5 billion year history of the Earth and turn it into a glorious tribute to the natural forces of the universe, giving the viewer a sense of wonder and awe. It's impossible to multi-task while watching the show -- put your laptop or smart phone away and drink in those visuals while the wonders of science get explained in an easy-to-understand way. Earth science has often been beyond my grasp because of boring presentation; How the Earth Was Made takes that information and presents it in a way that is absolutely accessible and wondrous. In addition to the feast of visuals and information these documentaries provide, the information sticks with you, making hiking/walking through natural landscapes an even more awe-inspiring experience. The show also presents the stories of the various scientists, professional and amateur, who have helped us understand historical geology, including plate tectonics. Great stuff!