12 of 179 results for "life"
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Breathing Life Into Earth

In Breathing Life Into Earth, geologist Iain Stewart explains how oxygen left the ocean and filled the atmosphere, creating a huge turning point in the story of life on Earth. This oxygen helped form the ozone layer, which acts like a protective shield, blocking harmful radiation from the Sun and allowing life to thrive. Without oxygen, Earth wouldn’t have been able to support all the amazing life forms we know. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Earth: The Power of the Planet, a documentary series in which Dr. Iain Stewart discovers how Earth's forces can shape nature, species, and even the climate.

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Getting Started: Life on Earth and Mars

In Getting Started: Life on Earth and Mars, Professor Brian Cox explains the conditions that are required for life to begin. Learn how Earth and Mars had these conditions at the same time. Could life have started in two places at once? Or might the life on Earth have come from outer space? This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Planets, a series that explores the dramatic lives of the eight planets in our Solar System.

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Finding Life? The Future of Mars

In Finding Life? The Future of Mars, Professor Brian Cox explains how scientists continue to explore Mars and what finding life on Mars means for the existence of life in the Universe. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Planets, a series that explores the dramatic lives of the eight planets in our Solar System.

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One in a Galaxy: The Search for Life Continues

In One in a Galaxy: The Search for Life Continues, Professor Brian Cox wonders about the possibility of complex life and civilization on other planets. And, if we are, in fact, alone in our galaxy, what does that mean for our value in the Universe? This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Planets, a series that explores the dramatic lives of the eight planets in our Solar System.

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Bacteria Brrr!: Life in Ice

In Bacteria Brrr!: Life in Ice, Professor Brian Cox explores an ice cave and finds microorganisms that are living in the ice. He discusses what this means for life on other planets and moons with scientist Richard Hoover. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Planets, a series that explores the dramatic lives of the eight planets in our Solar System.

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Intelligent Life: Is It Out There?

In Intelligent Life: Is It Out There?, Professor Brian Cox explains what happened when complex life developed and what this means for the search for life beyond Earth. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Planets, a series that explores the dramatic lives of the eight planets in our Solar System.

Student Article
Understanding Water: The Key to Life on Earth
The article "Understanding Water: The Key to Life on Earth" from BBC Science Focus explains how water’s physical properties, like hydrogen bonding, allow it to support life on Earth. It highlights the importance of water in living organisms, the water cycle, and the discovery of water in space.
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The Carbon Connection: Why CO₂ is Crucial for Our Planet's Survival

In The Carbon Connection: Why CO₂ Is Crucial for Our Planet's Survival, Dr. Iain Stewart explains how carbon dioxide is essential for life on Earth. Without enough, planets like Mars are freezing cold, while Venus is scorching hot because it has too much. Early volcanoes released carbon dioxide that helped keep the planet warm enough for life to evolve. Yet, scientists have discovered evidence of a catastrophic "Snowball Earth" event 700 million years ago, where the planet may have been completely frozen, as shown by mysterious drop stones found in Namibia. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Earth: The Power of the Planet, a documentary series in which Dr. Iain Stewart discovers how Earth's forces can shape nature, species, and even the climate.

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Mission to Mars: Landing Curiosity

In Mission to Mars: Landing Curiosity, Professor Brian Cox explains what scientists thought about life on Mars in the 1970s, how that changed, and what we learned from the first landing on Mars, the Curiosity rover. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Planets, a series that explores the dramatic lives of the eight planets in our Solar System.

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Life on Moons: Europa

In Life on Moons: Europa, Professor Brian Cox explains how the geological discoveries on faraway moons have impacted what scientists think about them. Then he visits an ice cave in Iceland to discuss how the ice cave can teach us about Europa, Jupiter’s moon. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Planets, a series that explores the dramatic lives of the eight planets in our Solar System.

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Studying the 581 Planetary System
In Studying the 581 Planetary System, researchers explore the potential habitability of the planets in the Gliese 581 system. Gliese 581c is considered too hot to support life due to a runaway greenhouse effect, but Gliese 581d may have a chance. Its distance from the star and the potential for a warming greenhouse effect give it the possibility of sustaining life. Learn about the factors that make a planet habitable, such as atmosphere, temperature, and distance from its star.
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Was the T. Rex a Scavenger?

In Was the T. Rex a Scavenger?, a team from the University of Glasgow explains that T. rex dinosaurs may have been able to survive as scavengers. This video is excerpted from BBC's Horizon: T. Rex, Warrior or Wimp?, a documentary featuring interviews with T. rex experts from around the world and exploring the science behind the legend of the dinosaur we love to hate.