NOVA (1974)
S53E01 Asteroids: Spark of Life?
Episode Overview
Picture a time when Earth was nothing more than a seething, volcanic landscape, relentlessly pelted by massive asteroids. While we've often viewed these cosmic strikes as threats to life, what if they were actually crucial to our survival? Delve into a groundbreaking theory that proposes these cataclysmic impacts delivered the vital components – water, minerals, and energy – necessary for life to emerge on our planet. Join scientists as they uncover clues from lunar rocks and ancient craters, suggesting that the very objects we associate with destruction could have played a vital role in igniting life itself.