Bedrock: Earth's Earliest History

If the sun was dimmer 4 billion years ago, how did the Earth stay warm?

Today, we learn how just a small percent of Earth's atmosphere goes a long way in controlling global climate, both today and in…

How has the Sun changed over the past 4 billion years?

While the Sun may seem unalterable, it has brightened dramatically over Earth's history, with major implications for our world. Today, we'll meet…

Is there any place today that resembles the Earth 4 billion years ago?

Surprisingly, the answer is yes... ish. Today, we'll learn a secret recipe for continents, one that made the very oldest rocks on…

Hi folks,

Thanks for your patience- it's been a busy month for me. The next episode will be up on December 4, followed by a more regular schedule for the following weeks. In the meantime, I've updated…

What did the oldest rock look like 4 billion years ago, before it was pressure-cooked?

Today, we'll answer that question by melting chocolate chip ice cream, meeting one of granite's less famous cousi…

How old is the oldest rock, where was it found, and what type of rock is it?

To answer that question, we'll journey into Canada's Northwest Territories, deep underground to the breaking point of rocks…

Welcome to Season 2 of Bedrock!

This episode introduces Season 2's subject: the Eoarchean (ee-oh-ar-key-an) chapter of Earth's history. The Eoarchean lasted from 4 to 3.6 billion years ago, from Febr…

Get caught up to speed on Season 1, a time known as The Hadean.

The Hadean covers Earth's earliest days from 4.6 to 4 billion years ago, January 1 to Feb 14 on the Earth Calendar. This is a time of m…

Season 1 Finale.

What was the first living thing on Earth, when did it live, and what did it do?

Today, we end Season 1 by meeting LUCA, the oldest ancestor for every living thing on Earth today. On …

How and where did the first cells form on planet Earth, 4 billion years ago?

To answer that question, we investigate why oil and water hate each other, explore the seafloor with the Titanic's discove…

When did DNA show up in Earth's past, and how does it actually work today?

In this episode, we brush up on biology, learning about DNA's hardworking but underrated sister RNA, how cells turn genetic c…

How did the Earth transform simple carbon into the complex ingredients of life?

Today, we'll meet a troubled Charles Darwin hunting for fossils, we'll create slime from thin air in one of the greatest…

How did the ingredients of life arrive on Earth?

Today, we look at how asteroids brought organic material from the depths of space to Earth's surface. On the way, we'll run into an old friend from Ep…

How were life’s ingredients assembled billions of years ago?

Today, we journey to the deepest reaches of space to take the first steps from non-living molecules to life. On the way, we learn what it r…

When did life begin on planet Earth?

That's a big question to tackle, one that will take a few episodes to answer. Today, we start this new arc by introducing three key ingredients of life: proteins,…

Miniseries Episode 7:

The oldest rocks on Earth are hidden deep in the Canadian North, 4 billion years old. For our final stop of our tour, we sneak a peek at these and other rocks we'll meet soon in…

Miniseries Episode 6:

Most of Europe is very young, geologically- only millions of years old instead of billions. Today, we travel to eastern and northern Europe to see how its' modern borders match …

Miniseries Episode 3:

Africa is a continent with many different nations and rocks. Today, we learn how most of Africa was fused together billions of years ago, and which pockets preserve the best evi…