
The Origin and Evolution of Earth
From the Big Bang to the Future of Human Existence
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Narrated by:
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Robert M. Hazen
This course chronicles the history of Earth and life on Earth from the point of view of the minerals that made it all happen. A major theme is how minerals and life coevolved, leading to the unprecedented mineral diversity on our world compared to the other planets in the solar system. Professor Hazen tells this epic story in 48 action-packed lectures that take you from the big bang to the formation of the solar system to the major milestones that marked the evolution of Earth and life. He also looks ahead at what to expect millions to billions of years in the future.
It's easy to think that the green Earth dominated by life that we experience today is just as it's always been. But Professor Hazen introduces you to a succession of starkly different Earths, starting with the black, basalt-covered planet of 4.5 billion years ago, and progressing through blue, gray, red, and white phases as Earth, minerals, and life developed in concert.
Major episodes covered in these lectures include the formation of the moon from the collision of a Mars-sized body with the early Earth; the Great Oxidation Event, which was sparked by the earliest photosynthetic life and is responsible for Earth's iron and other important mineral deposits; the formation of the first continents; the start of plate tectonics more than 3 billion years ago; the repeating cycles of supercontinent formation; the Cambrian explosion of life, resulting in the first animal shells, bones, and teeth; the great episodes of mass extinction, including the dinosaurs; and the rise of humans - along with much else.
Most impressively, Professor Hazen is a pioneer in the study of mineral evolution, which is a unique lens through which to view the development of Earth. He tells the story with authority and with a rare gift for making you see the world in a new, intriguing way.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
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best ever
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What did you love best about The Origin and Evolution of Earth?
I personally love to learn. This course helped me look at the world in a new way. If all professors were this awesome in college, then everyone would be Albert Einsteins. Thank you for a wonderful course. I will listen to this and my other Great Courses over and over!!!absolutely brilliant
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Where does The Origin and Evolution of Earth rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This is among the best of the books I've through on science and historyWhat about Professor Robert M. Hazen’s performance did you like?
His enthusiasm is real, not a performance. He clearly knows so much more than he told us here yet his almost effervescent explanation makes us listen as though this is the most important lecture on earth. Maybe it is..Any additional comments?
In the same sense as Gun Germs & Steel by Diamond, Hazen brings together several disciplines who had rarely talked with each other together. The end product is filled with AHA moments when things just sorta make sense, rather than a list of stuff to be memorized.One Nice Big Package
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So good
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Wide-ranging and enthusiastically delivered
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It's like instant education which will last a lifetime....Thank you for sharing with us.
Listening this Book you can feel the Planet
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Fascinating
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very informative!
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The Best
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A must listen for everyone.
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