Topic: Nature film, “How to Grow a Planet” by Prof. Iain Stewart
Description: Mike’s presentation was about this stunning video in which Prof. Stewart reveals how the greatest changes to the Earth have been driven by plants. In his film, Prof. Stewart describes how plants first harnessed sunlight to create oxygen, and the epic battle between dinosaurs and the tallest trees. He describes the development of leaves, and shows plants breathing, and even communicating.
The development of the first flowers, which brought color and dramatic changes to plant and animal evolution, and kick-started human evolution, are also described. The enormous impact of one plant in particular, i.e., grass, is discussed in great detail, and how grass unleashed firestorms to fight its greatest enemy, the forests. And finally, how one kind of grass (i.e., wheat) triggered human civilization.
