Life’s Rocky Start gives a decent educational account of the importance of minerals to both the formation (assuming life originated on Earth) and the progressive development of life. It is one of the few documentaries I have seen that properly shines light on the importance of meteorites to the understanding of planetary formation. The documentary starts by visiting Marrakesh, Morocco to show how meteorites are obtained in the infamous Northwest Africa region. I only wished it developed more on this meteorite theme.
Category: nova (Page 1 of 2)
I have listed a few of the better movies/shows which I have watched in the past month.
Nova – Alien Planets Revealed – Documentary about the discoveries of the Kepler Planet Hunter Telescope
Journey of the Universe (2011) – Grand overview and insights into all of science. Quote from synopsis:
Using his skills as a masterful storyteller, Swimme connects such big picture issues as the birth of the cosmos 14 billion years ago to the invisible frontiers of the human genome as well as to our current impact on Earths evolutionary dynamics. Through his engaging and thoughtful observations audiences everywhere will discover the profound role we play in this intricate web of life.
This series focuses on the geographic and biological evolution of the Australian continent since the formation of the Earth. Dr. Richard Smith narrates the entire series, starting with the formation the first lifeforms on Earth, up until the modern time. Good series and worth a watch.
Ancient Computer, recently released on NOVA, investigates in detail the Antikythera mechanism. This device is really stunning. Charles Babbage is usually credited with the first computer — his difference engine. However, the Antikythera mechanism shows that the first known computer was actually developed in ancient times. Perhaps even more ancient humans, like the Babylonians or Egyptians, had such machines, their devices lost or destroyed. YouTube link.
Well done NOVA. Earth From Space, a NOVA documentary detailing the information revealed about Earth through satellites, is a must see. The visual images of the atmospheric processes and natural phenomenon are the best I have seen and really show the inter-connectedness of the environmental processes on Earth. Follow this link to watch it on YouTube.
Download the HD version here or buy it here.
![[ GNU Link]](https://www.gnu.org/graphics/gnubanner-2.png){kind=small}
