MOVIE SERIES RESUME

Earth The Power of the Planet

By 4B Group:
Putri Ragil Kusumawardani

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Nia Agustiningsih

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Ardhiles

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Vela

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Zaky Suwandi

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Reni Nur Hidayah

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MASTER OF NURSING POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM

FACULTY OF MEDICINE
BRAWIJAYA UNIVERSITY MALANG
2016

Synopsis of the Rare Planet

In the BBC film about the natural world, we look at the bigger picture: Earth's place in space.
Our planet is unique in the solar system, perhaps even in the universe. It's taken four and a
half billions years to turn the Earth from a barren rock to the planet we know today. It's been
an incredible journey of catastrophe and renewal. But now this rare and remarkable planet is
facing its greatest challenge - us. The question is, will it survive?
In Rare Earth, Iain (reporter) explores the remarkable events that have created this unique
planet. When Earth was first formed, it seems that it had a twin. A second planet (called
Theia) was born in the same orbit as the Earth. The outcome was a catastrophic collision,
which destroyed Theia and changed the destiny of our planet. Some of Theia was absorbed
into the Earth, which increased its gravity as a result. This enhanced gravity allowed the Earth
to hold on to a rich, dense atmosphere.
Mars, which also started life with an atmosphere, is much smaller than the Earth and over
time its weaker gravity allowed its atmosphere to leak into space. So much of what makes our
planet so special is down to its atmosphere.
Iain travels to Meteor Crater in Arizona, and to the barren abor Plain in South Australia to
explore the atmosphere's vital role in protecting us from continual bombardment from
meteorites. The debris left over from the collision eventually coalesced to form our moon.
And it's thanks to the moon that Earth has a stable climate with regular seasons.
Earth has benefited from other remarkable pieces of good fortune. We orbit just the right kind
of sun to support complex life, and we're just the right distance from it. We even have the
right neighbours. Strange as it may seem, Jupiter plays a vital role in keeping Earth a home
for life. Its huge gravitational field attracts meteorites that might otherwise strike Earth. An
environment that remains relatively stable is essential for complex life to survive.
But there's a curious twist. Too much stability and life can get stuck in a bit of a rut. Every
now and then, evolution needs a catastrophe to shake up things up. In the jungles of Mexico,
Iain discovers the legacy of one of the greatest catastrophes the Earth has ever experienced.
The jungle is littered with strange flooded caverns called cenotes.
Diving in these caves, Iain discovers that they are all joined up, and they mark out the rim of
a giant meteorite impact crater. This was the meteorite impact that wiped out the dinosaurs.

But the impact has left its mark in other ways. Iain dives in spectacular flooded caverns
called cenotes that are a legacy of that long-ago disaster. Stunning computer graphics recreate this impact, including the rain of molten rock that would have descended through the
atmosphere, super-heating it to hundreds of degrees and killing most life on the planet. But
devastating as this impact was, it was in some respects a blessing in disguise. By destroying
the dinosaurs it cleared the way for the rise of a new type of animal - the mammals. And
ultimately for us.
Throughout its long history, the planet has suffered several great catastrophes, and each has
played a vital role in kick starting evolution. Without them, it s likely that Earth would still be
inhabited by nothing more exciting than bacteria. Having established how rare our planet is,
Iain asks whether we are in danger of messing up the very systems that make Earth so
different and so special.