How Earth Made Us

The incredible story of the natural forces that have shaped our history presented by Professor Iain Stewart. Our planet has amazing power, and yet that's rarely mentioned in our history books.

This series tells the story of how the Earth has influenced human history, from the dawn of civilization to the modern industrial age. It reveals for the first time on television how geology, geography and climate have been a far more powerful influence on the human story than has previously been acknowledged.

A combination of epic story telling, visually stunning camera-work, extraordinary locations and passionate presenting combine to form a highly original version of human history.

1. Deep Earth. In this first episode, Iain explores the relationship between the deep Earth and the development of human civilization. He visits an extraordinary crystal cave in Mexico, drops down a hole in the Iranian desert and crawls through seven-thousand-year-old tunnels in Israel.

2. Water. Visiting spectacular locations in Iceland, the Middle East and India, Iain shows how control over water has been central to human existence.

3. Wind. Iain sets sail on one of the fastest racing boats ever built to explore the story of our turbulent relationship with the wind. Traveling to iconic locations including the Sahara desert, the coast of West Africa and the South Pacific, Iain discovers how people have exploited the power of the wind for thousands of years.

4. Fire. Iain explores man's relationship with fire. He begins by embarking on an extraordinary encounter with this terrifying force of nature - a walk right through the heart of a raging fire.

5. Human Planet. He explores the most recently established force, humans. It's easy to think of the human impact on the planet as a negative one, but as Iain discovers, this isn't always the case.