All language subtitles for PBS.Genius.By.Stephen.Hawking.5of6.What.Are.We.720p.HDTV.x264.AAC.MVGroup.org.eng

WE ALL HAVE QUESTIONS.

BIG QUESTIONS.

WOW...

IT'S PART OF WHAT
IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN.

OH, NO!

MY NAME IS STEPHEN HAWKING,

AND I BELIEVE THAT ANYONE
CAN ANSWER BIG QUESTIONS
FOR THEMSELVES.

OHH!

HAWKING: SO WITH THE HELP
OF 3 ORDINARY PEOPLE

AND A TEAM OF EXPERTS...

WE HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND
OUR ORIGINS.

AND THIS IS NEW.

HAWKING: WE ARE GOING
ON THE ULTIMATE VOYAGE...

MAN: WOW. THAT'S IMPRESSIVE.

WOMAN: GO!
HAWKING: A QUEST TO ANSWER

THE GREATEST MYSTERIES
OF THE UNIVERSE...

WOMAN: GO DOWN. OH, NO!

HAWKING: USING THE POWER
OF THE HUMAN MIND.

WOW...

WOMAN: IT MUST HAVE BEEN
SO EXCITING TO SEE THAT

FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.

WHOO-HOO!
[SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]

HAWKING: BECAUSE ANYONE

CAN THINK LIKE A GENIUS.

ANNOUNCER: "GENIUS BY
STEPHEN HAWKING"

WAS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY

CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS
STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

VOICES: WHAT ARE WE?

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED
WHAT YOU REALLY ARE?

HAVE YOU EVER STOPPED TO THINK
HOW YOU GOT HERE?

A COMPLEX BIOLOGICAL CREATURE

LIVING ON A BALL OF ROCK,
SPINNING THROUGH SPACE.

IF SO, YOU ARE
IN GOOD COMPANY.

"WHAT ARE WE?" IS A QUESTION
THAT HAS BEEN ASKED

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS,

CONTEMPLATED BY SOME OF
THE GREATEST MINDS
WHO EVER LIVED.

BUT EVEN TODAY, FAR TOO FEW
PEOPLE KNOW THE ANSWER.

SO, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN
PUT THAT RIGHT.

I HAVE ASKED
3 CURIOUS MINDS

TO JOIN ME ON THE JOURNEY
OF DISCOVERY.

A SERIES OF FUN CHALLENGES
AWAITS THEM.

THEY WILL BE GIVEN
TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT.

CAN THEY FOLLOW THE GREATEST
THINKERS IN HISTORY

AND GRASP WHAT WE REALLY ARE?

THE FIRST STEP
TO FINDING OUT

IS TO ASK "WHAT IS
LIFE ITSELF?"

AMANDA: WHAT IS LIFE?
THAT'S A--

THAT'S A DIFFICULT QUESTION
TO, UH, ANSWER, UM...

WHAT IS LIFE?
IT'S A KIND OF...

SEEMS LIKE
A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION.

SOMETHING WHICH IS ABLE TO--

WHICH IS BORN AND CAN BE--
AND CAN REPRODUCE ITSELF.

RECEIVING ENERGY,
GIVING ENERGY, UM...

REPRODUCING AND REACTING
TO THE WORLD AROUND YOU.

THAT'S A REALLY TRICKY
QUESTION TO ANSWER.

HAWKING: THIS MACHINE
ILLUSTRATES THE FIRST
KEY PRINCIPLE

BEHIND WHAT YOU ARE.

IT HAS LOTS OF MOVING PARTS
THAT TRIGGER EACH OTHER
IN A CHAIN REACTION.

IT'S DESIGNED TO REVEAL
SOMETHING THAT YOU MAY
FIND DISTURBING.

WILL MY VOLUNTEERS GET
THE POINT OF THE MACHINE?

INTERESTING.
YEAH.

AMANDA:
OK.

HAWKING: FIRST, THEY HAVE TO
FIND OUT HOW TO START IT.

AMANDA: I WONDER
WHAT HAPPENS
OVER HERE, THOUGH.

LOOK AT THIS ARM.

IS THAT SUPPOSED TO
BE LIKE GOD-THING

YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE IT'S
AN ARM OUT OF THE
CLOUDS OR WHATEVER.

SAM, CHUCKLING:
I THINK YOU'RE
PROBABLY RIGHT.

IT'S "BEGINNING" UP THERE.
SHALL WE, UH...

SHALL WE GIVE IT A GO
AND SEE IF IT'LL WORK?

YEAH. LET'S JUST
GO OVER THERE.
OK.

SAM: I THINK IT STARTS
UP HERE, RIGHT?

GIVE ME A COUNTDOWN, GUYS.

ZAI: OK, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

[CLUNK]

ZAI: OOH...OK.

AMANDA: OH.

[LIQUID FLOWING]

ZAI: WHOA.

AMANDA: AH-AH.

SAM: HITS
THE DOMINOES. YES?

KEEP GOING!
ZAI: NICE!

AMANDA: OK.
ZAI: I LOVE THAT.

[CLICK]

OH!

SAM: OH, I THINK
HE'S GOT STUCK.

HAWKING: THE MACHINE WORKS
BY TRANSFERRING AN IMPULSE

FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER

SUSTAINED BY THE INPUT
OF ENERGY.

THERE ARE LOTS OF
DIFFERENT MOVING PARTS,

EACH FOLLOWING
THE LAWS OF PHYSICS.

AND TOGETHER, THEY KEEP
THE IMPULSE MOVING.

SAM: IS IT GONNA
BE ENOUGH?

YES! HA HA HA!

ZAI: "STEPHEN HAWKING'S
MACHINE OF LIFE."

HAWKING: SO, WHAT HAS THIS
GOT TO DO WITH US?

SAM: WHAT DO YOU THINK,
RESET IN IN ORDER?

LET'S TRY AND RESET IT,
AND MAYBE THAT'LL HELP
US FIGURE OUT--
ZAI: YEAH.

ONE THING ALWAYS
LEADS TO ANOTHER.

SO, ONE PROCESS HAS TO
HAPPEN BEFORE ANOTHER
PROCESS HAPPENS.

LIKE, CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES
HAVE TO OCCUR

BEFORE SOMETHING
CAN MOVE FORWARD.

ZAI: IT HELPED TO SHOW ME
THAT EVERYTHING IS
A CAUSE AND EFFECT.

IT REMINDED ME ALL ABOUT
CHAIN REACTIONS.

SAM: SO I GUESS WE HAD
A CAUSE AND EFFECT,

AND EVERYTHING HAS TO BUILD
UP AND UP AND UP.

CAN WE GIVE IT
A GO?
LET'S GIVE IT A GO.

GO.

[CLUNK]

[LIQUID FLOWING]

SAM: I THINK IT MIGHT
HAVE BROKE IT.

NO, NO. IT'S GOING.
IT'S GOING.

IT'S FILLING UP.

WHOOP!

OOH...
COME ON.

GO!
SAM: NICE.

DID WE RESET
IT CORRECTLY?

SAM: IT'S A REALLY
POWERFUL DEMONSTRATION

OF HOW ALL THOSE PROCESSES
WORK TOGETHER.

OOH...YES!

AMANDA: I KNOW!

AMANDA: YOU'VE GOT ALL THESE
DIFFERENT THINGS THERE

TO CREATE ONE RESULT.

SAM: IT'S GONE PREMATURELY.

AMANDA: WELL, THAT'S OK.
THAT'S OK.

HAWKING: MY MACHINE IS ACTUALLY
A VERY SIMPLE VERSION

OF WHAT IS GOING ON
INSIDE YOUR BODY.

THIS IS WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE
ON A MICROSCOPIC SCALE,

AND IT REALLY IS
QUITE INCREDIBLE.

WHERE MY MACHINE FEATURES
DOMINOES AND POOL BALLS,

YOUR BODY HAS MOLECULES,

CHAINS OF ATOMS OF CARBON,
OXYGEN, HYDROGEN,

AND OTHER ELEMENTS.

YOU ARE MADE OF BILLIONS
OF TINY MACHINES,

ALL TRIGGERING EACH OTHER.

YOU ARE A GIANT
CHAIN REACTION MACHINE.

DISCOVERING THIS HAS TAKEN
CENTURIES OF WORK BY SCIENTISTS.

IT ALL BEGAN BY LOOKING AT
A DROP OF WATER.

WOMAN: PEOPLE HAD ALWAYS ASSUMED

THAT WHAT THEY COULD SEE
WITH THEIR OWN EYES

WAS THE LIMIT OF
THE PHYSICAL WORLD,

BUT ALL THAT ABSOLUTELY
FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED

IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE 17th CENTURY,

WHEN A DUTCHMAN CALLED
ANTONIE VAN LEEUWENHOEK

MADE ONE OF THE GREATEST
SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES

OF ALL TIME,
AND YET HE HIMSELF

WAS A CLOTH MERCHANT,
A DRAPER.

IT WAS HIS INTEREST
IN MICROSCOPY, MICROSCOPES,

THAT HE WAS USING TO EXAMINE
THE QUALITY OF CLOTH

THAT HE THEN,
WITH HIS INNATE CURIOSITY

HAD APPLIED TO THE WORLD
AROUND HIM,

THAT LITERALLY OPENED UP
A WHOLE NEW WORLD OF SCIENCE.

THIS IS A REPLICA OF HIS OWN
HANDMADE MICROSCOPE.

AND THIS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT,
MIGHT NOT LOOK LIKE VERY MUCH,

BUT THIS WAS THE MOST POWERFUL
MICROSCOPE AROUND AT THAT TIME.

SANDWICHED BETWEEN THESE
2 SHEETS OF METAL IS
A TINY GLASS SPHERE.

AND WHATEVER HE WOULD ATTACH
TO THIS SPIKE HERE

YOU COULD SEE MAGNIFIED
JUST OVER 200 TIMES.

HE TOOK A DROPLET OF WATER,

AND WHEN YOU HELD IT UP TO
YOUR EYE, LIKE THIS...

HE SAW WHAT NO ONE
HAD EVER IMAGINED...

THIS WHOLE NEW WORLD.

THE WATER DROPLET WAS LITERALLY
TEEMING WITH LIFE.

HE DESCRIBED THEM
AS LITTLE ANIMALS.

TO US, WE NOW KNOW THAT
THEY ARE MICROORGANISMS.

IT MUST HAVE BEEN SO EXCITING
TO--TO--TO SEE THAT FOR
THE VERY FIRST TIME.

HE LOOKED AT ALL SORTS
OF THINGS USING HIS MICROSCOPES.

HE LOOKED AT HIMSELF.

HE LOOKED AT SKIN,
AND HE LOOKED AT BLOOD.

WE ARE ALL FUNDAMENTALLY
MADE OF SIMILAR THINGS.

HAWKING: THE IDEA THAT WE
MIGHT BE MADE UP OF
INVISIBLY TINY COMPONENTS

WAS SOMETHING OF A SHOCK.

AFTER ALL, NOBODY LIKES TO THINK
OF THEMSELVES AS A MACHINE...

NOT EVEN ME.

BUT LET'S GO BACK
TO THE CONTRAPTION

BECAUSE IT HAS
ANOTHER FEATURE.

IT CAN BE MADE TO RUN ROUND AND
ROUND IN A LOOP.

TO DO THAT,
WE NEED ONE MORE PART.

THIS RATHER ATTRACTIVE
PLASTIC FIGURE

DRIVES THE END OF THE MACHINE
BACK TO THE BEGINNING.

NOW THE CHALLENGE
IS TO KEEP IT GOING.

SAM: WE WOULD HAVE TO
PUT ENOUGH ENERGY
AND BE QUICK ENOUGH

TO RESET THE PIECES BEFORE
THEY CAME ROUND AGAIN.

MAKE RUNNING A LOOP?

I CAN TRY.

THAT'S ALL I CAN DO.

HAWKING: MAKING A CHAIN REACTION
MACHINE RUN IN A LOOP

SHOULD HELP THE TEAM
UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE.

WE GET 5 CYCLES,
I'LL BUY THE DRINKS.

YES!
OK, LET'S DO THIS.

[AMANDA PRETENDING TO ECHO]
3...3...3...

2...2...2...

1...1...1...GO!

[CLUNK]
YES!

[LIQUID FLOWING]

[SAM TALKING INDISTINCTLY]

HAWKING: NOW THE MACHINE
IS ALSO LIKE THE CIRCLE
OF LIFE ITSELF,

A CYCLE WHERE ...

IS PASSED FROM ONE LIVING
ORGANISM TO THE NEXT.

I NEED HELP OVER HERE--
ZAI: HOW'S IT LOOKING?

HELP OVER HERE,
HELP OVER HERE.

HAWKING: AS LONG AS THERE IS
ENOUGH ENERGY

AND THERE IS
NO GREAT DISASTER,

THIS IMPULSE
WILL KEEP GOING.

AND HAWKING'S RESET.

AMANDA: ALL OF A SUDDEN,
IT FELT LIKE A LOT OF PRESSURE.

I WANTED IT TO SUCCEED,
AND I WANTED IT TO, YOU KNOW,

I WANTED IT TO RUN.

SAM: I'M QUITE OCD
ABOUT THIS THING,

SO I REALLY WANTED
IT TO WORK.

ZAI: OH, GOD, HERE WE GO.
HERE WE GO. NEXT ONE...

HAWKING: AT THE MOST
FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL,

LIFE IS NOT A THING,
IT IS A PROCESS...

HOW WE DOING?
WE'RE DOING WELL.

HAWKING: A PROCESS THAT CAN
LAST INDEFINITELY,

AS LONG AS THERE IS NO DISASTER.

A PROCESS THAT DEPENDS
ON TINY MACHINES,

EACH ONE TRIGGERING
THE NEXT.

AMANDA: THE MINUTE
SOMETHING IS WRONG,

EVEN BY, SAY, 1/4 OF AN INCH,
IT'S NOT HAPPENING.

SAM: IT WAS A CHALLENGE.
IT WAS A PHYSICAL CHALLENGE

BECAUSE AS YOU DID IT
MORE AND MORE,

YOU HAD TO RUN AROUND MORE,
AND YOU WERE GETTING MORE TIRED.

ZAI: OK, THE BALLS,
THE BALLS, THE BALLS.

HAWKING: BUT SADLY,
IN THE REAL WORLD,

MISTAKES ARE EVENTUALLY MADE.

HAVING A BIT
OF TROUBLE HERE.

OH, GOD,
IT'S COMING AGAIN.

HAWKING: AND IF THERE ARE
ENOUGH OF THEM,

THE MACHINE STOPS.

AMANDA: OH, NO!
SAM: OH!

ZAI: WELL DONE, WELL DONE.
WE DID PRETTY GOOD.

SO CLOSE, SO CLOSE.
WE DID A GOOD JOB.
WE DID A GOOD JOB.

SAM: WE GOT ABOUT
4 OR 5 GOES-ROUND,

SO IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD GO.

WHAT IT TAUGHT ME ABOUT LIFE

WAS THAT WE HAVE ALL THESE
RANDOM PROCESSES GOING ON
INSIDE US,

BUT WE NEED ALL OF THEM
AND WE NEED ALL OF THEM
TO WORK IN ORDER

AND BUILD UPON ONE ANOTHER
TO MAKE THE FINAL RESULT,

WHICH IS US.

I'M MADE OF LITTLE
MACHINES LIKE THAT,

BUT WHERE DID THOSE
MACHINES COME FROM?

HOW--HOW WERE THEY CREATED
IN MY BODY?

HAWKING: SO, NOW THEY KNOW
LIFE IS A PROCESS INSIDE
A WONDERFUL MACHINE.

MY VOLUNTEERS ARE ASKING
THE NEXT QUESTION...

HOW DID THIS BIOLOGICAL
MACHINERY COME ABOUT?

THIS IS THE NEXT STEP
ON OUR JOURNEY TO DISCOVER
WHAT WE ARE.

TIME FOR THE SECOND CHALLENGE.

THESE BLUE AND YELLOW PIECES
MIGHT NOT LOOK LIKE MUCH,

BUT THEY HOLD A SECRET.

WILL MY VOLUNTEERS
WORK OUT WHAT IT IS?

WHAT ARE THEY?

THEY'RE EITHER
FOAM OR PLASTIC.

BLUE AND YELLOW
PENTAGONS.

ZAI: I WAS REALLY CONFUSED.
I WASN'T SURE WHAT THEY WERE.

AMANDA: THE FIRST THING I
WANTED TO DO WAS TOUCH THEM.

IMMEDIATELY, I WAS JUST, UH,
REALLY EXCITED.

[CLICK]
OK, THEY'RE MAGNETS.

SAM: AH, OK.
SO THEY STICK TOGETHER.
BRILLIANT.

DIFFERENT COLORS.

YOU'VE GOT
SOME REPELLING
EACH OTHER.

SAM: IT LOOKS THAT
WE CAN SORT OF PUT
THE BLUE ONES TOGETHER

INTO SORT OF DOMES.

SAM: SEEING AS WE GOT
A COUPLE TOGETHER,

WE REALIZED THAT THERE WERE
SOME LAWS OF ATTRACTION

BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT BLOCKS.

I WONDER HOW BIG
WE CAN MAKE ONE?

LOOK!
A-HA!

YOU'RE--YOU'RE FAR
TOO FAST AT THAT.

YEAH, YOU'RE WAY--
SAM: YOU LEFT ME
WAY BEHIND.

IT'S KIND OF COOL, THOUGH.
IT LOOKS LIKE A VIRUS.

AMANDA: YOU KNOW, MAKING
LITTLE DISCOVERIES

ABOUT "OOH, THIS WORKS BETTER
THIS WAY," AND "THIS WORKS
BETTER THIS WAY."

AND "OOH, YOU CAN MAKE A BALL."

AMAZING!
YOU CAN MAKE A BALL.

HAWKING: SO, WHAT DO THESE
MAGNETS REPRESENT?

CAN WE DO A MIXED SPHERE?
I DON'T KNOW.
MIXED SPHERE, YEAH.

SEE, I'VE GOT LIKE
A LITTLE HALF-AND-HALF
KIND OF THING HERE,

BUT IT'S JUST NOT
HAVING IT.

SO, I GUESS WE CAN GET
SORT OF PLAINER, REGULAR
SORT OF CHAINS WITH A MIX.

HOW DID YOU DO THAT?

JUST END TO END.
BLUE ON THE SORT OF
RIGHT WAY UP--
YEAH.

AND THE YELLOW ONE
THE OTHER WAY UP.
I SEE!

SAM: THE ONES OF SIMILAR COLOR
WERE VERY EASY TO LINK TOGETHER,

UM, IN THE SAME ORIENTATION,

WHEREAS, BETWEEN COLORS,
THAT WASN'T THE CASE.

AMANDA: ALL RIGHT, SO WE
CAN GET A LITTLE BIT OF
BONDING AND BINDING.

ZAI: IT KIND OF REMINDED
ME OF MOLECULES, I GUESS.

HAWKING: THESE CLUSTERS
OF MAGNETS ARE INDEED

LIKE MOLECULES.

AND THE INDIVIDUAL MAGNETS,
LIKE ATOMS OF DIFFERENT
ELEMENTS--

THINGS LIKE CARBON, OXYGEN,
OR HYDROGEN.

THEY HAVE POSITIVE
AND NEGATIVE CHARGES,

ATTRACTING OR REPELLING
EACH OTHER.

EACH DIFFERENT COMBINATION
CREATES A DIFFERENT MOLECULE

AND MANY COMBINATIONS
ARE POSSIBLE.

AMANDA: IT'S INTERESTING,
'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY
EACH ONE, RIGHT,

HAS DIFFERENT PROPERTIES.

SO THESE ARE CLEARLY
MUCH STRONGER.

THESE ONES, THEY
JUST FALL APART.

SAM: AND WE QUICKLY DISCOVERED
THAT WE COULD GET 3-D STRUCTURES

WITH ONES OF SIMILAR COLOR,

BUT ONLY KIND OF PLAINER,
FLAT STRUCTURES WITH
MIXTURES OF COLORS.

BUT WE SAW THAT WE COULD,
WITHIN THOSE RESTRICTIONS,

MAKE A MYRIAD OF
DIFFERENT PATTERNS,
FANTASTIC COMBINATIONS.

HAWKING: THE TINY MACHINES
INSIDE YOU

ARE BUILT OF JUST A FEW
KINDS OF MOLECULES.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
IS AMINO ACIDS,

OFTEN CALLED
THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF LIFE.

BY THE EARLY 19th CENTURY,

SCIENTISTS KNEW
ABOUT THESE MOLECULES

BUT HAD NO IDEA HOW
THEY FIRST FORMED.

TO FIND OUT, THEY HAD TO
LOOK MORE THAN 4 BILLION
YEARS BACK IN TIME

BEFORE THE BEGINNING
OF LIFE ON EARTH.

MAN: SO, A BIG QUESTION
IN THE SORT OF EARLY STUDY

OF THE ORIGIN OF LIFE
ON EARTH WAS

WHERE DO THESE BASIC
BUILDING BLOCKS COME FROM.

DO THEY JUST APPEAR
OUT OF THE BLUE?

[BUBBLING]

[CRACKING]

A REMARKABLE EXPERIMENT
WAS STARTED IN THE 1950s

BY STANLEY MILLER,
WHO WAS A Ph.D. STUDENT AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO,

ALONG WITH HIS ADVISOR
HAROLD UREY,

BUILT A SYSTEM COMPOSED OF
A GLASS GLOBE THAT WAS SORT
OF MIMICKING THE ATMOSPHERE

ON EARLY EARTH.

A LOWER OCEAN--THAT WAS A GLOBE
THAT CONTAINED WATER

THAT WAS HEATED,

AND WATER VAPOR RISES
THROUGH A GLASS TUBE

INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.

IN THIS UPPER ATMOSPHERE,
HE HAD 3 GASES

IN ADDITION TO WATER VAPOR.

HE HAD AMMONIA, METHANE,
AND HYDROGEN.

AND THESE ARE GASES
THAT WERE THOUGHT AT THE TIME

TO BE IN HIGH ABUNDANCE
IN THE EARLY EARTH ATMOSPHERE.

AND THERE'S NO OXYGEN PRESENT.

AND IN THIS FLASK,
HE HAD AN ELECTRICAL COIL

THAT PROVIDED ENERGY
INTO THE SYSTEM.

YOU COULD IMAGINE THAT
AS LIGHTNING,

AND THEN HE TURNED
THE ELECTRICITY ON
IN THIS CLOSED SYSTEM...

[ZAPPING]

AND LET IT RUN FOR A WEEK.

[ZAPPING]

HAWKING: THE SCIENTISTS
WERE TRYING TO SEE

IF THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF LIFE
COULD CREATE THEMSELVES

FROM THESE SIMPLE INGREDIENTS.

IT'S LIKE ASKING MY
VOLUNTEERS, "IF WE GIVE
THE MAGNETS SOME ENERGY,

WHAT ARE THEY CAPABLE OF?"

I'M JUST WONDERING, LIKE--

'CAUSE WE WERE DOING THIS BEFORE
WITH JUST ONE COLOR.

BUT IF WE TOOK A BUNCH OF THEM
AND THREW THEM DOWN TOGETHER,

I WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.

HOW THEY'D CLUSTER
JUST RANDOMLY.

DO YOU WANT TO DO IT
THE SAME TIME?

AND WHY DON'T
YOU TAKE SOME,

AND WE'LL THROW THEM ALL
IN THE SAME SPOT?

OK. SURE.
OK.

WHY NOT?

SAM: I WAS INTERESTED TO SEE
IF THESE THINGS COULD ACTUALLY

ASSEMBLE THEMSELVES WITHOUT
SO MUCH DESIGN FROM US.

COULD THEY ACTUALLY, GIVING
THEM THAT LITTLE SPARK,

THAT LITTLE BIT OF ENERGY,

COULD THEY ACTUALLY
DO THIS FOR THEMSELVES?

OK, RIGHT, SHOULD
WE JUST CHUCK 'EM IN
THE MIDDLE ON 3?

YEAH.
YEAH.

AMANDA: 1, 2, 3.

[MAGNETS CLICKING]

WOW! THAT'S ACTUALLY
QUITE IMPRESSIVE.

THAT IS COOL, THOUGH.
LOOK AT ALL THE DIVERSITY
WE HAVE IMMEDIATELY.

WITH HARDLY
PUTTING IN ANY--
WITH HARDLY--YEAH.

WE'VE GOT THE START
OF THIS SORT OF SPHERICAL
STRUCTURE OVER HERE.

YEP. OOH...
THAT'S NOT TOO BAD.

THAT'S A GOOD ONE,
ISN'T IT?

AND THAT WAS JUST BY
SORT OF RANDOM INTERACTION
OF THE THINGS.

THEY'VE GOT, LIKE, A LITTLE
SELF-DETERMINATION KIND
OF THING GOING ON.

YEAH, THEY SELF-ASSEMBLE.

THEY SORT OF
SELF-ORDER THEMSELF, YEAH.

ZAI:
THAT'S PRETTY COOL.

ALL ACTING IN THIS WAY
THAT'S INESCAPABLE.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

HAWKING: NATURE WORKS JUST THE
SAME WAY AS THE MAGNETS.

IF THE CONDITIONS ARE
RIGHT, MOLECULES CAN
SPRING OUT OF NOWHERE.

THAT'S JUST THE WAY THE WORLD
WORKS AT THE ATOMIC SCALE.

AMANDA: WHEN WE SMUSHED
EVERYTHING TOGETHER,

IT WAS REALLY COOL
'CAUSE, UM, ACTUALLY

LOTS OF STUFF THAT WE COULDN'T
HAVE PREDICTED HAPPENED.

REALLY COOL SHAPES THAT WE
DIDN'T THINK BEING ABLE TO FORM,

REALLY COMPLICATED ONES
THAT WE COULD PICK UP.

WE DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN

ZAI: I WAS DEFINITELY
SURPRISED

THEY WOULD CREATE
ALL THESE DIFFERENT SHAPES

THE WAY THEY DID, PARTICULARLY,
IN SOME OF THE SHAPES

DIFFERENT COLORS FIT TOGETHER.

HAWKING: WHEN YOU
APPLY SOME ENERGY,

INTERESTING THINGS
START TO HAPPEN,

AS STANLEY MILLER
DISCOVERED IN 1953 WITH
HIS REMARKABLE EXPERIMENT.

WHITEMAN: WE,
AND EVERYTHING ELSE,

ARE MOSTLY COMPOSED
OF PROTEINS,

AND PROTEINS ARE COMPOSED
OF AMINO ACIDS.

OVER THE COURSE OF A WEEK,

HE DISCOVERED THAT HE HAD
PRODUCED 5 AMINO ACIDS

JUST BY PROVIDING
A LITTLE BIT OF ENERGY

INTO THIS HIGHLY REDUCED
EARLY EARTH-LIKE ATMOSPHERE.

THE MOST BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS
OF LIFE CAN APPEAR,

SORT OF OUT OF THE BLUE,
AND IT WAS A HUGE DISCOVERY.

HAWKING: TO SHOW THIS
PROCESS IN ACTION,

THE TEAM HAS A SPECIAL
MACHINE THAT WILL GIVE
THE MAGNETS SOME ENERGY.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THEY
PUT THE MAGNETS IN

AND TURN IT ON?

SHOULD WE JUST
TURN IT ON?

SHOULD WE
GIVE IT A GO?
ZAI: YEAH.

AMANDA: I'VE NEVER SEEN A
MACHINE LIKE THAT BEFORE.

I HAD NO IDEA
WHAT IT WAS GONNA DO.

SAM: IT LOOKED LIKE A KIND
OF GIANT EGG TRAY

WITH A--WITH A SURROUNDING WALL.

AH! THERE'S ANOTHER
SWITCH ROUND HERE.

NOW IT'S ON.

OK.

[BEEPING AND VIBRATING]
OK, HERE WE GO.

[MACHINE THUMPING LOUDLY]

HEY?
OH, WOW.

HAWKING: GIVEN TIME,
UNDER CONSTANT INPUT OF ENERGY,

THE MAGNETS CAN FORM
COMPLEX STRUCTURES
ALL BY THEMSELVES.

OH, WOW! LOOK!
THERE'S ALMOST A
BALL ALREADY.

WOW!

YES! HA HA!
OH, WOW. COOL!

HEY!

YEAH! WE GOT ONE!

ZAI: WELL, THE MAGNETS WERE
BOUNCING UP AND DOWN
IN THE MACHINE

AND STARTED FORMING THESE
BALLS ALL THEMSELVES.

IT WAS CRAZY.

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEY WERE
GONNA FORM INTO BALLS.

LIKE, THAT WAS
A REAL SURPRISE FOR ME.

SAM: THERE WERE MANY
THROW-DOWNS AND BOUNCES.

WE SAW THESE VERY
INTRICATE STRUCTURES

COMING TOGETHER BY THEMSELVES.

HAWKING: THAT'S HOW ATOMS WORK.

OVER TIME, AMINO ACIDS AND
MANY OTHER COMPLEX MOLECULES

SIMPLY ASSEMBLE THEMSELVES.

AMANDA: YOU CAN GET LIKE LITTLE
THINGS TO FORM THEMSELVES.

ALL'S YOU NEED IS
THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCE,

THE RIGHT FORCE OF ENERGY,

YOU KNOW,
THE RIGHT SURROUNDINGS,

AND THEY WILL DO EXACTLY WHAT
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.

WOW. IT'S CRAZY.

HAWKING: SO FAR, MY VOLUNTEERS
HAVE WORKED OUT THAT LIFE

IS A PROCESS IN
A BIOLOGICAL MACHINE

AND HOW THE ELEMENTS
OF SUCH MACHINES
CAN ASSEMBLE THEMSELVES.

BUT HOW DID LIFE BEGIN?

THAT'S ONE OF THE GREATEST
MYSTERIES IN SCIENCE.

SOME RESEARCHERS THINK THAT A
PARTICULARLY COMPLEX MOLECULE

ASSEMBLED ITSELF IN POOLS
OF WATER AND STEAM
AROUND VOLCANIC SPRINGS.

OTHERS THINK IT HAPPENED AT
THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN
NEAR HOT WATER VENTS.

THIS PARTICULAR MOLECULE
HAD A VERY SPECIAL PROPERTY.

IT COULD MAKE COPIES
OF ITSELF.

THESE COPIES
THEN MADE MORE COPIES,

WHICH MADE YET MORE COPIES

BUILT OUT OF THE RAW MATERIALS
THAT SURROUNDED THEM.

THAT IS WHAT PRIMITIVE LIFE IS.

IT MAKES MORE LIFE OUT OF STUFF
THAT IS NOT ALIVE.

SAM:
INTERESTING.
THIS IS...

HAWKING: TO APPRECIATE
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US,

WE NEED ANOTHER EXPERIMENT.

ZAI: WOW.
SHOULD WE START
GETTING SUITED UP?

YEAH, LET'S DO IT.
YEP.

HAWKING: IN THIS BLACK TENT
IS ALL THAT IS NEEDED

TO MAKE A PRIMORDIAL SOUP--

A KIND OF ANCIENT SEA WATER.

SAM: PUT SALT, AMINO ACIDS--

AND ALL THIS WATER.

AND A LOAD OF WATER.

SAM: WE HAD AMINO ACIDS,
WE HAD SALT,

WE HAD A HELL OF
A TON OF WATER.

SHOULD WE START WITH--
SHOULD WE START
WITH THE WATER?

YEAH.

HAWKING: THE MAIN INGREDIENTS
ARE ALL FOUND IN NATURE,

BUT NONE CAN BE SAID
TO BE ALIVE.

ALL THEY NEED TO DO IS
MIX IT TOGETHER.

THEY START BY ADDING
SOME WATER.

AMANDA: LET'S, UH,
LET'S HAVE A LOOK AT
WHAT WE'VE GOT HERE.

UH, WE GOT AMINO ACIDS.
AND SALT.

DO WE WANT TO--

RIGHT. COOL. DO WE
WANT TO DO THAT,
AND THEN YOU STIR?

YEAH, LET'S DO THIS.

AS WE HAVE SEEN,

AMINO ACIDS ARE THE BASIS
OF ALL LIVING THINGS,

AND SALT IS WHAT MAKES THIS
LOOK LIKE SEA WATER.

OOH, WOW.

RIGHT. OK.
ZAI: YEAH.

CHANGING.

WHAT DO WE RECKON NOW?
KEEP GOING WITH OUR...

I'D SAY--

WE'VE GOT THIS GLYCEROL.

SHALL I...

YEAH.
YEAH, LET'S DO IT.

YEAH. NEXT?
GET IT IN THERE.

YEAH.
ALL RIGHT.

HAWKING: GLYCEROL IS
A SUGARY ALCOHOL,

A SOURCE OF ENERGY.

GETTING MUCH THICKER, RIGHT?
YEP.

HAWKING: IT MIGHT BE
HARD TO BELIEVE,

BUT ALL THAT LIFE NEEDS
TO THRIVE IS IN THIS MIX--

A LIFELESS, PRIMORDIAL SOUP
LIKE THE EARTH'S EARLY OCEANS.

SO, WHAT HAPPENS IF WE INTRODUCE
SOMETHING THAT CAN COPY ITSELF?

A FEW DROPS OF THIS SOLUTION
WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING.

OH, GOD, WHICH BACTERIA
DO YOU RECKON IT IS?

OH...
RIGHT. HERE WE GO.

AMANDA: I LOVE THAT IDEA
OF A BEGINNING--
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?--

AND SEEING WHERE THAT
BEGINNING'S GONNA GO.

[DRIPPING]

BACTERIA...

OUR CREATION.

HAWKING: NOW WE HAVE TO LEAVE
THE MICROSCOPIC BACTERIA

TO DO THEIR THING FOR 24 HOURS.

AMANDA: I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.

HAWKING: INSIDE OUR SOUP,
THE MACHINE OF LIFE HAS
BEGUN TO WORK.

EACH BACTERIA ABSORBS
THE WATER AND AMINO ACIDS,

TAKING IN THE FOOD SOURCE.

NOW SOMETHING
INCREDIBLE HAPPENS.

THEY BEGIN TO REPLICATE.

EVERY 30 MINUTES,
EACH BACTERIA CELL DIVIDES

SO THERE ARE TWICE AS MANY
AS THERE WERE BEFORE.

30 MINUTES LATER,
THERE ARE TWICE AS MANY AGAIN.

LIFE IS MAKING MORE LIFE
USING LIFELESS MOLECULES.

BUT HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE
WITH SUCH BASIC INGREDIENTS?

THE SECRET LIES INSIDE
AN INCREDIBLE MOLECULE

IN THE NUCLEUS OF LIVING CELLS:

DNA.

BACK IN 1953, FRANCIS CRICK
AND JAMES WATSON

DISCOVERED HOW IT WORKS.

IT CONTAINS THE INSTRUCTIONS
FOR CREATING LIFE.

WHITEMAN: THE DISCOVERY
OF THE STRUCTURE OF DNA IN 1953

WAS REVOLUTIONARY.

THEY DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS
A 2-STRANDED STRUCTURE

THAT WAS SORT OF A HELIX
WITH A RIGHT TURN.

AND SO, IN THAT HELIX
IS ALL OF THE INFORMATION

REQUIRED TO BUILD
A PARTICULAR ORGANISM.

YOU CAN THINK OF THE DNA
AS THE BLUEPRINTS

AND THE BUILDERS,
THE THINGS LIKE PROTEINS,

THAT ARE DOING THE JOB
BUILDING TISSUES,
BUILDING THE ORGANISM.

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE DNA
BEING THE SOURCE OF THE
HEREDITARY MATERIAL.

IT CAN COPY ITSELF AND THEN
TRANSMIT THAT INFORMATION
FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT.

HAWKING: THE ABILITY TO COPY
DNA ALLOWS ORGANISMS TO GROW
AND REPAIR THEMSELVES,

AND IT'S HOW ALL
LIFE FORMS REPRODUCE...

JUST LIKE THE BACTERIA
IN OUR SOUP

HAVE BEEN DOING FOR
THE PAST 24 HOURS.

I HAD IN MY MIND,
LIKE, PRIMORDIAL SLIME

WITH, LIKE, KIND OF, YOU KNOW,
YELLOW FLOATING ON THE TOP.

SAM: LOOKS KIND
OF LIKE A...
AMANDA: ALMOST A--

SPIRAL GALAXY.

I WAS JUST GONNA SAY,
IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE
A GALAXY.

ZAI: YEAH.

HAWKING: IT'S TOUGH TO SEE
TINY BACTERIA,

BUT THIS STRAIN HAS
A SPECIAL ABILITY.

IT HAS EVOLVED TO PRODUCE
GREEN LIGHT WHEN EXPOSED
TO OXYGEN.

ZAI: I SEE KIND OF
FLUORESCENT BITS
AS WELL.

HAWKING: IN THEORY, THAT
WILL LET US SEE HOW MUCH
BACTERIA WE HAVE NOW.

LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS
IF WE BLAST IT WITH OXYGEN.

[OXYGEN HISSING]

OOH.

OK.

[BUBBLING]

HAWKING: EVEN THOUGH
THE BACTERIA ARE TINY,

TOGETHER, THEY CAN PRODUCE
A LIGHT SHOW WE CAN SEE.

WOW.

SAM: VERY UNEXPECTEDLY,

WE SAW THAT THE WHOLE TANK
WAS ACTUALLY GLOWING.

WOW.

ZAI: IT TURNED INTO THIS
AMAZING...I DON'T KNOW,

JUST THIS FLUORESCENT SEA.

AMANDA: THE LAST THING I
EXPECTED WAS FOR IT TO
GLOW LIKE THAT.

SO, I GUESS WHATEVER
WE GREW, THE BACTERIA

THAT WE--THAT WE
PUT IN YESTERDAY,

IS PRODUCING ALL THIS--
ALL THIS LIGHT NOW.

HOW MANY DROPS
DID WE PUT IN?

3 OR 4, DIDN'T WE?

AMANDA: WE STARTED WITH JUST A
COUPLE DROPS OF THE BACTERIA,

AND THEN THE NEXT THING
YOU KNOW, IT IS COMPLETELY
FILLING THE ENVIRONMENT.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
HOW--HOW BASIC IS WATER,

SALT, AMINO ACIDS...

SAM: IT'S THE MOST
BASIC INGREDIENTS
THAT WE--THAT WE PUT IN.

IT'S JUST AMAZING.

SAM: THE RATE AND SPEED
OF THIS MULTIPLICATION OF LIFE

WAS ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDING.

HAWKING: SO HOW MANY BACTERIA
DO YOU THINK THERE ARE
IN OUR SOUP NOW?

I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO KNOW
HOW MANY BACTERIA ARE IN IT.

I COULDN'T GUESS.

GOSH, ABOUT A MILLION, MAYBE?
MORE. NO, IT HAS TO BE MORE.

A BILLION.

HAWKING: IN JUST 24 HOURS,
A FEW DROPS OF BACTERIA

HAS BECOME 66 GALLONS OF THEM,

OVER 100 TRILLION
INDIVIDUAL CELLS.

THAT'S MORE CELLS THAN
THERE ARE IN THE HUMAN BEING,

SUCH AS THE SPEED
AT WHICH LIFE CAN GROW.

IN 24 HOURS,
THAT'S HAPPENED.

IT EXPANDED TO
THOUSANDS OF BILLIONS.

ONCE YOU HAVE THOSE
BUILDING BLOCKS OF LIFE THERE,

IT JUST EXPLODES,
AND IT GOES ABSOLUTELY BANANAS.

HAWKING: THIS REPLICATION
IS THE KEY

TO HOW WE ALL CAME TO BE
LIVING ON THIS PLANET.

BECAUSE ONCE IT BEGINS,
ALMOST ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.

WHEREVER WE LOOK,
ON THE TINY OR MASSIVE SCALE,

LIFE IS ENDLESSLY VARIED,

EVEN THOUGH MUCH OF THE INTERNAL
MACHINERY IS THE SAME.

HOW DID THE MACHINERY HAPPEN?

AND HOW DID THE ORGANISMS
THAT USE IT COME ABOUT?

THE ANSWER IS EVOLUTION.

I'VE SENT MY VOLUNTEERS
BACK TO NATURE.

I AM HOPING WE CAN
SHOW EVOLUTION IN ACTION

OVER JUST A FEW HOURS.

AMANDA: WELL, THIS IS ODD.

TRAYS, WATER.
INTRIGUING.

AMANDA: I HAD NO IDEA
WHAT WAS GOING ON,

WALKING INTO THAT TOWER
AND JUST SEEING A TRAY

AND SOME WATER.

OK. WHOA...

WHAT'S THIS?

HAWKING: I HAVE ASKED
AMANDA AND ZAI TO MAKE
4 RANDOM SHAPES EACH

USING A SPECIAL
MOLDING MATERIAL.

WOW. I'VE NEVER SEEN
STUFF LIKE THIS BEFORE.

LET'S GO.
LET'S DO THIS.

HAWKING: AS IT COOLS,
IT SOLIDIFIES,

SO THEY DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME
TO MAKE THE SHAPES.

OH, GOD, IT'S GETTING
REALLY HARD--
YEAH.

REALLY FAST, ISN'T IT?

ZAI: IT WAS FUN PLAYING
WITH THE LIQUID PLASTIC

AND MAKING THE
DIFFERENT SHAPES,

JUST WHATEVER
CAME INTO OUR HEAD.

AND OF COURSE, WE DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

HAWKING: ONCE THEY'RE HAPPY
WITH THEIR SHAPES,

THEY SET THE MATERIAL
IN COLD WATER.

NOW THEY'RE READY
TO MAKE SOME MORE.

TO MAKE SURE THEY DON'T
INFLUENCE EACH OTHER'S DESIGNS,

THERE IS A DIVIDING SCREEN
BETWEEN AMANDA AND ZAI.

MY GRANDDAD WOULD BE
PROUD OF THIS.

ONCE THEY HAVE
COMPLETED THEIR SHAPES,

I'VE ASKED THEM TO COVER
THEIR EARS AND THEIR EYES.

ZAI: WE JUST HAD TO WAIT
AND SEE WHAT WAS COMING NEXT,

AND THAT WAS DEFINITELY
QUITE THRILLING.

HAWKING: THIS IS WHERE SAM
GETS TO PLAY HIS PART.

SAM: I HAD THESE
FANTASTIC SHAPES,

BUT I REALLY HAD NO IDEA WHAT
I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THEM.

SO WE MARCHED UPSTAIRS
IN THE TOWER,

'CAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY
OTHER PLACE TO GO.

AND I FOUND THAT THERE WAS
A--A FANTASTIC CATAPULT

RIGGED UPSTAIRS.

IT'S LIKE SOME KIND OF
MEDIEVAL TREBUCHET,

ONAGER-TYPE THING.

I SAW THAT THERE WAS A TARGET
ON THE FIELD DOWNRANGE--

NICE RED TARGET TO AIM
THESE SHAPES AT.

SO THE ONLY LOGICAL THING
SEEMED TO BE TO LAUNCH
THESE SHAPES FROM IT.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S WORK OUT
HOW THIS GOES.

HAWKING: FLINGING THINGS
OFF BUILDINGS IS FUN,

BUT CAN AMANDA AND ZAI
MAKE A PROJECTILE

THE RIGHT SIZE AND SHAPE
TO HIT THIS TARGET

WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT
THEY ARE DOING?

LET'S GIVE THIS A GO.

3...2...1...

[THUNK]

HAWKING: ALTHOUGH NOT DESIGNED
FOR THIS PURPOSE,

THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF SOME
WORKS MUCH BETTER THAN OTHERS.

SAM: GOOD ROLL, BUT IT DIDN'T
GET THERE IN ONE GO.

SO...MOST OF THEM WEREN'T
VERY FIT FOR PURPOSE.

THEY KIND OF BROKE APART,
FLEW OFF AT FUNNY ANGLES,

OR JUST DIDN'T REALLY GET
VERY FAR TOWARDS THE TARGET.

[THUNK THUNK THUNK]

HAWKING: AMANDA AND ZAI ARE
STILL BLISSFULLY UNAWARE

OF WHAT'S HAPPENING
TO THEIR HANDIWORK.

SAM: 3...2...1...

[THUNK]

HAWKING: IT DOESN'T MATTER
IF THEY BUMP, ROLL, OR BOUNCE.

IT'S ALL ABOUT
WHICH GETS CLOSEST.

IT LOOKS LIKE FUN,
BUT CAN YOU WORK OUT

WHAT IT'S GOT TO DO
WITH EVOLUTION?

THESE 4 SHAPES GOT CLOSEST
TO THE TARGET

AND WILL GO THROUGH
TO THE SECOND ROUND.

SAM: OK, LADIES, WE HAVE
ANOTHER COMMISSION FOR YOU.

ALL RIGHT.
OH.

HAWKING: THIS TIME,
THEY WILL EACH MAKE A COPY
OF THE 4 WINNING SHAPES.

ZAI: AND I JUST THOUGHT,
"WHAT'S GOING ON?

WHY DO WE HAVE TO REMAKE
THE SHAPES AGAIN?"

UM, OK, I DON'T...

HAWKING: DESPITE THE FACT
THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE
IDENTICAL SHAPES,

SMALL MISTAKES IN THE
COPYING WILL CHANGE THEM
EVER SO SLIGHTLY.

AMANDA: IT WAS REALLY
INTERESTING DOING REPLICATIONS

OF THE SAME SHAPE.

'CAUSE USING THE SAME MATERIAL
AND EVERYTHING,

IT WAS SLIGHTLY
DIFFERENT OUTCOME.

YOU KNOW, THERE ARE
DIFFERENT SIZES,

DIFFERENT WEIGHTS.

ZAI: WHEN YOU MAKE ONE THING,

YOU'RE NEVER GONNA MAKE
AN EXACT REPLICA OF IT.

IT CAN'T BE THE SAME.

HAWKING: THIS IS JUST LIKE
WHEN NATURE COPIES ITSELF.

SMALL VARIATIONS CAN
HAPPEN IN THE PROCESS.

TIME TO SEND OUR
SECOND ROUND FLYING.

IMAGINE EACH SHAPE IS A MOLECULE
THAT CAN COPY ITSELF,

BUT ONLY IF IT GETS
CLOSE TO THE TARGET.

AND FIRE!
[THUNK]

HAWKING: ONLY THE BEST
SHAPES SURVIVE TO REACH
THE NEXT GENERATION.

THEY ARE THE BEST-ADAPTED
TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT.

SAM: 3...2...1...FIRE!

[THUNK]

HAWKING: AMANDA AND ZAI ARE
PLAYING THE ROLE OF NATURE,

INTRODUCING RANDOM VARIATION

IN EVERY NEW GENERATION.

THERE'S ONE SHAPE THAT SEEMS
TO BE DOING BEST.

TRYING A 3rd-GENERATION
PROJECTILES.

STARTING TO SEE A LOT
OF SIMILAR ONES,

SEEM A BIT MORE
FIT FOR PURPOSE.

SAM: IT KIND OF DAWNED ON ME
WHAT WAS GOING ON

IN THE KIND OF 2nd,
3rd ITERATION.

THINGS STARTED TO LOOK MORE
CANNONBALL-, PROJECTILE-LIKE.

RIGHT. LET'S TRY
FIRST ONE.

SAFETY OUT.

1...2...3...

[THUNK]

WOW! GETTING THERE!

[THUNK]
FIRE.

HAWKING: WITH EACH GENERATION,

THEY GET CLOSER
TO THE TARGET.

FIRE.
[THUNK]

[THUNK]

HAWKING: ALL OF THE WINNERS
OF THIS ROUND LOOK ALIKE

AND HAVE ALL DESCENDED FROM
THE SAME ORIGINAL SHAPE.

THERE IS A SELECTION
PROCESS AT WORK,

WHICH MAKES THE SHAPE EVOLVE.

THE SHAPES ARE PERFECTING
THEIR ADAPTATION

WITHOUT ANY CONSCIOUS
INTERVENTION FROM MY VOLUNTEERS.

BUT HOW EXACTLY
DOES EVOLUTION WORK?

THIS WAS EXPLAINED BY
THE GENIUS CHARLES DARWIN

IN HIS BOOK ON
"THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES."

MAN: "THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES"
COMES OUT IN NOVEMBER 1859.

IT'S THE BOOK THAT PERSUADED
THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY

THAT SPECIES MIGHT
HAVE COME ABOUT

BY SOMETHING OTHER THAN
INDEPENDENT CREATION BY GOD.

WHAT DARWIN TRIES TO SHOW YOU
IS THAT RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSE,

IN NATURE, THERE
EXISTS A PROCESS

WHICH IS POWERFUL ENOUGH
TO PRODUCE NEW SPECIES
FROM PRE-EXISTING SPECIES.

[ROARING]

AND BECAUSE THERE IS NEVER
ENOUGH FOOD TO GO AROUND,

BECAUSE THERE ARE ALWAYS
TOO MANY PREDATORS,

BECAUSE THERE IS COMPETITION,

IN THAT STRUGGLE FOR LIFE,
IT WILL BE THOSE INDIVIDUALS

WHO HAPPEN TO BE THAT
LITTLE BIT BETTER ADAPTED
TO THEIR ENVIRONMENTS

WHO WILL OUTSURVIVE
THEIR PEERS.

THEY'LL LIVE LONG ENOUGH
TO REPRODUCE

AND WILL PASS THE ADVANTAGES
THAT THEY WERE BORN WITH

TO THEIR OFFSPRING.

OVER THE LONG RUN,
THIS PROCESS CAN PERSIST

TO THE POINT WHERE ONE SPECIES
HAS GRADUALLY MORPHED

INTO A NEW SPECIES,
AND THAT'S EVOLUTION.

HAWKING: IT'S TIME TO LET
AMANDA AND ZAI INTO OUR GAME.

AMANDA: OH, COOL.
IS THIS A CATAPULT?

SAM: YEAH.
OH!

I'VE NEVER SEEN ONE
IN REAL LIFE BEFORE.

SAM: SO THIS IS THE AMAZING
FUN I'VE BEEN HAVING
WITH YOUR CREATIONS.

YOU'VE BEEN MAKING
MY CANNONBALLS.

NO WAY.
WHAT?

YOU'RE MAKING
MY PROJECTILES.
AMANDA: FANTASTIC.

YOU COME AND HAVE
A LOOK OVER HERE...
YEAH?

YOU SEE WHAT
YOU'RE AIMING TO HIT.

OH, WOW.
OK, COOL.

SAM: YEAH?
YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.
TAKE UP
THE CHAIN.

YEP.
BUT DON'T PULL IT
BACKWARDS. JUST
TAKE IT UP.

OK.
3...2...1...

[THUNK]

GO ON, GO ON!
UGGGH!

SO CLOSE.

SO, COME ON,
WE'VE GOT THIS.

HAWKING: SO, IF ONLY THE FIRST
SHAPES CLOSEST TO THE TARGET

PASS INTO THE NEXT GENERATION,

WHAT DO MY VOLUNTEERS
MAKE OF ALL THIS?

ZAI: FOR ME, I'D SAY IT WAS
A MATTER FOR--FOR EVOLUTION.

SAM: 3--AH!

ZAI: IT WASN'T THAT WE WERE
DESIGNING THIS THING.

IT WAS DESIGNING ITSELF.

SAFETY OFF.
RIGHT, HERE WE GO.

ON 3.
READY?
THIS IS THE ONE.

COME ON, GUYS.
THIS IS THE ONE.

[THUNK]

[GROANING]

ZAI: IT NEARLY
HIT THE TARGET.

AN INCH SHORT!
AN INCH SHORT!

AWW...
COME HAVE A LOOK.

AMANDA:
LET'S GO SEE!

OH, THERE'S OUR...
OH, THERE'S
OVER THERE.

THERE'S A COUPLE
OF THE MISSES.

NEARLY!

SAM: OH, AND IT'S
TOUCHING, ...TOUCHING!

NEARLY.
IT'S TOUCHING.
WHOO-HOO!

WE DID IT,
JUST ABOUT.

WE DID IT, GUYS.
WE DID IT! WE DID IT!

YEAH.
YES!
AWESOME.

THAT'S A GOOD
QUARTER OF AN INCH
SHORT THERE.

WELL DONE, GUYS.

SAM: I DIDN'T THINK THAT
THIS COULD HAPPEN SO FAST,

THAT WE COULD PRODUCE
SOMETHING THAT COULD HIT
THE TARGET SO FAST.

ZAI: LIFE PERFECTS
THE IMPERFECTIONS EACH TIME.

AND THEN I GUESS OVER
A REALLY LONG PERIOD OF TIME,

THAT'S HOW WE'VE COME ABOUT.

HAWKING: WITHOUT ANY
INTENTIONAL DESIGN,

IN A MATTER OF HOURS,
RANDOM SHAPES HAVE EVOLVED.

BUT COMPLEX LIFE NEEDS
ONE MORE INGREDIENT.

WE HAVE WORKED OUT THAT WE ARE
BIOLOGICAL MACHINES

AND THAT WE HAVE BEEN
CREATED THROUGH A PROCESS
CALLED EVOLUTION.

BUT THIS PROCESS TAKES TIME,
AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF TIME.

IT'S HARD TO REALLY
APPRECIATE JUST HOW OLD
THE EARTH AND LIFE IS.

LET'S SEE IF WE CAN FIX THAT
WITH SOME HARMLESS FIREWORKS.

[FSSST]
OH!

HA HA HA!

ZAI: IT WAS JUST LIKE
"WHOA!"

IT JUST ABSOLUTELY
SCARED ME.

I WAS GONNA GO
DOWN TO THE GROUND.

TOP, DROP, AND ROLL.

OH, MY GOD.
HA HA HA!

HAWKING: IMAGINE THAT FIREWORK
REPRESENTS 250,000 YEARS...

[FSSST]

LONGER THAN THE AGE
OF OUR SPECIES.

THEY ARE LAID ON A TRAIL
STRETCHING BACK IN TIME.

IF 4 FLASHES HAPPEN
IN 1 SECOND,

THAT MAKES 1 MILLION YEARS.

HOW LONG WOULD THEY NEED
TO FOLLOW THE FLASHES FOR

TO GET BACK TO THE BEGINNING
OF LIFE ON EARTH?

THINK I'LL RUN FOR ABOUT
30 SECONDS TO A MINUTE.

30 SECONDS.

1 MINUTE
AND 28 SECONDS.

I THINK THAT IT WOULD
PROBABLY RUN FOR
ABOUT 4.5 MINUTES.

MM-HMM.
I LOVE RUNNING!

HAWKING: HOW CLOSE DO YOU
THINK THEY'LL BE?

[FSSST]

AFTER JUST 6 SECONDS,
WE ARE BACK TO THE TIME

WHEN THE FIRST
APE-LIKE CREATURES

WALKING ON 2 LEGS APPEARED.

ABOUT A MINUTE LATER,
THEY ARE ENTERING THE AGE
OF THE DINOSAURS.

SAM: WE'VE ALREADY
GONE FOR A MINUTE,

WHICH IS MORE THAN
MY INITIAL ESTIMATE.

UM, SO I'M WONDERING HOW LONG
WE'RE GONNA BE RUNNING FOR,

UM, AND IF I SHOULD HAVE
BROUGHT SOME MORE APPROPRIATE
SHOES, ESSENTIALLY.

HAWKING: DINOSAURS WALKED
THE EARTH FOR ALMOST

A THOUSAND TIMES LONGER
THAN WE HUMANS.

SO, THAT'S 1,000 FLASHES
TAKING A FURTHER 4 MINUTES.

AMANDA: IT'S CRAZY TO THINK
THAT EACH ONE OF THOSE FLASHES

IS MORE THAN HUMAN HISTORY.

WHERE AT EVEN A TINY
PART OF THE TIME SINCE
THE DINOSAURS DIED OFF,

WHICH IS RIDICULOUS.

HAWKING: AFTER 7 MINUTES,
30 SECONDS,

WE ARE BACK TO WHEN
THE FIRST CREATURES

BEGAN COLONIZING DRY LAND.

AFTER 9 MINUTES OF RUNNING,

WE ARE 540 MILLION YEARS
IN THE PAST,

WHEN THE EARLIEST
COMPLEX LIFE STARTED
APPEARING IN THE OCEANS.

BUT HOW DO WE KNOW
ALL OF THIS?

THE TEAM CAN TAKE
A BREATHER.

THE FIRST STEP TO
UNDERSTANDING THIS

WAS TAKEN
IN THE 18th CENTURY

BY A SCOTTISH FARMER
NAMED JAMES HUTTON.

[WAVES CRASHING]

COCKBURN: GOING BACK 250 YEARS,

THE ACCEPTED THINKING
AT THAT TIME WAS THAT
THE EARTH WAS YOUNG.

AND WHEN I SAY YOUNG, I MEAN
JUST A FEW THOUSAND YEARS.

JAMES HUTTON WAS
A FASCINATING MAN.

HE STARTED OFF STUDYING
CHEMISTRY AND MEDICINE

BEFORE SPENDING MANY YEARS
FARMING IN THE SCOTTISH BORDERS.

AND IT WAS REALLY
HIS TIME AS A FARMER

THAT BROUGHT HIM CLOSE
TO THE LANDSCAPE

AND TO THE ROCKS.

HUTTON CAME UP WITH THE IDEA
OF CYCLES IN GEOLOGY.

HE SAW EROSION TAKING PLACE.

HE SAW SEDIMENTS BEING
WASHED OFF THE LAND SURFACE
INTO THE OCEANS.

AND OTHER PEOPLE HAD
NOTICED THAT BEFORE,

BUT THEN WHAT HUTTON REALIZED
IS THAT WHEREAS OLD ROCKS

WERE BEING WORN AWAY,

NEW ROCKS WERE BEING FORMED.

AND NEW ROCKS
WOULD THEN BE UPLIFTED,

AND THE WHOLE CYCLE
WOULD BEGIN AGAIN.

AND HERE AT SICCAR POINT,
HE FAMOUSLY FOUND THIS, WHICH

IS A GEOLOGICAL UNCONFORMITY,
IS A BREAK IN TIME.

ESSENTIALLY, THESE
UNDERLYING ROCKS WOULD
HAVE BEEN, AT ONE TIME,

FORMED HORIZONTALLY AND
TILTED UP ALMOST VERTICALLY

AND ERODED...
AND THAT TOOK TIME,

THAT PERIOD OF MOUNTAIN
BUILDING AND EROSION.

AND THEN, AT A LATER DATE,
YOU HAD THESE HORIZONTAL
ROCKS LAID DOWN ON TOP.

THE BREAK IN TIME THAT YOU
NEEDED FOR THESE ROCKS
TO THEN HAVE BEEN FORMED

IN THIS CONFIGURATION,

HUTTON KNEW IT HAD TO BE
MUCH LONGER THAN
A FEW THOUSAND YEARS.

IT HAD TO BE MANY
MILLIONS OF YEARS.

EARTH SIMPLY HAD TO BE MUCH,
MUCH OLDER THAN ANYONE HAD
PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT.

JAMES HUTTON OPENED UP THE
VASTNESS OF GEOLOGICAL TIME.

HE GAVE US THIS TRUE SENSE OF
TIME, AND THAT, FOR ME,

IT--IT JUST MAKES JAMES HUTTON
A STAND-OUT HERO.

HAWKING: JAMES HUTTON'S WORK
ALLOWED SCIENTISTS TO
BUILD UP A PICTURE

OF THE ORDER
IN WHICH LIFE EVOLVED.

THE REMAINS OF ORGANISMS
THAT LIVED DURING A PERIOD

ARE FOUND PRESERVED AS FOSSILS
INSIDE LAYERS OF ROCK.

THESE LAYERS HELPED SCIENTISTS
DATE EACH OF THESE
MARVELOUS CREATURES.

NOW CAN THE TEAM FINALLY
UNDERSTAND HOW OLD LIFE
ITSELF ACTUALLY IS?

IN THE QUEST TO GRASP
THE AGE OF LIFE,

MY VOLUNTEERS ARE STILL
TRAVELING BACK IN TIME.

AFTER 35 MINUTES, THEY ARE 2,100
MILLION YEARS IN THE PAST WITH

THE FIRST MULTICELLULAR
CREATURES.

AMANDA: WE WERE RUNNING
AT SOME POINTS,

AND WE COULDN'T ACTUALLY
SEE THE END OF IT.

IT WAS JUST GOING ON AND WE WERE
GOING AROUND CORNERS AND IT WAS
GOING AND GOING AND GOING.

IT JUST SEEMED LIKE
IT WAS ENDLESS.

HAWKING: BUT THERE'S STILL
A LONG WAY TO GO.

MY VOLUNTEERS HAVE NOW
REACHED THE ERA

IN WHICH ONLY SINGLE-CELLED
ORGANISMS EXISTED ON EARTH.

THE FINAL BANG AND THE
BEGINNING OF LIFE AROUND
4 BILLION YEARS AGO.

SAM: WE FINALLY
MADE IT TO THE END.

IT'S CRAZY.
SAM: WELL DONE,
GUYS.

AWESOME.

AMANDA: IT WAS A REALLY
GOOD WAY TO APPRECIATE

HOW LONG LIFE
HAS BEEN AROUND FOR.

IT'S A NUMBER IN YEARS THAT IS
SO MUCH MORE THAN NUMBERS THAT

WE DEAL WITH ON AN
EVERYDAY BASIS, IT'S VERY
DIFFICULT TO GRASP.

IT'S JUST CRAZY TO ME WHEN...
'CAUSE THAT SHOWS HOW MUCH TIME

REALLY HAS PASSED SINCE THE
BEGINNING OF LIFE.

HAWKING: MY VOLUNTEERS
RAN PAST 16,000 FLASHES

TO GET BACK TO
THE BEGINNING OF LIFE,

THROUGH THE AGE OF THE
DINOSAURS TO WHEN CREATURES
FIRST LIVED ON DRY LAND,

PAST THE FIRST COMPLEX
SEA CREATURES TO SIMPLE
MULTI-CELLED ORGANISMS,

THROUGH A THOUSAND,
MILLION YEARS

WHERE THE ONLY FORMS OF LIFE
TO BE FOUND CONSISTED
OF JUST A SINGLE CELL.

WHAT A JOURNEY.

SO MUCH HAS COME BEFORE US
AND WE ARE SUCH A SMALL,

INSIGNIFICANT PART OF
THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.

WE'VE BASICALLY COME ALONG
RIGHT AT THE END OF THE PARTY.

WE'RE KIND OF THE ONES WHO DON'T
KNOW HOW TO BEHAVE AND GETS
EVERYONE ELSE THROWN OUT.

WE'RE JUST A FLASH.
I WAS THINKING

THAT WE WERE ACTUALLY THE
BABIES OF THE UNIVERSE,

BUT IT'S NOT EVEN THAT.

WE'RE ACTUALLY LIKE THE
GLINT IN THE MILKMAN'S
EYE OF THE UNIVERSE.

HAWKING:
SO WHAT ARE WE?

WE BEGAN DEEP IN THE DISTANT
PAST AS THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF
LIFE CREATED THEMSELVES.

THEN BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO,
A MOLECULE WITH
A REMARKABLE ABILITY

BEGAN TO MAKE COPIES
OF ITSELF FROM THE RAW
MATERIALS OF THE PLANET.

A CHAIN REACTION HAD BEGUN
AND EVOLUTION TOOK OVER.

SO HERE WE ARE, COMPLEX
BIOLOGICAL MACHINES,

CAPABLE NOT JUST OF REPLICATING
AND PASSING ON THE CHAIN
REACTION OF LIFE

BUT ALSO FIGURING OUT
HOW WE GOT HERE.

ZAI: IT'S AMAZING TO THINK THAT
THIS HUGE CHAIN REACTION

HAS BEEN GOING ON IN THE WORLD
IN TERMS OF THE CREATION OF LIFE

AND WE'RE THE LAST IN THE LINE.

I FIND IT MAKES IT ABSOLUTELY
AMAZING BECAUSE EVERYTHING

THAT'S INVOLVED IN THIS CONSTANT
PROCESS--IT JUST MAKES THE FACT

THAT I'M HERE, SITTING IN THIS
ENVIRONMENT ON THIS ROCK,

MADE OF THIS MATERIAL,
INCREDIBLE AND--AND WONDERFUL.

THAT "A-HA!" MOMENT AND JUST
UNDERSTANDING THE REALITY OF

WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND
YOU IS EUPHORIC.

THAT SORT OF DEFINES US
IN A WAY AS A SPECIES THAT

WE CAN ASK THESE QUESTIONS
AND WE WANT TO FIND OUT
WHAT THE ANSWERS ARE.

ZAI: I'M GONNA START LOOKING AT
JUST THE SMALLEST THINGS
DIFFERENTLY.

SO IF I LOOK AT A FLOWER
ON A WALK IN THE PARK,

I'M GONNA THINK OF THOSE
FLOWERS AS BEING PART
OF THIS PROCESS, TOO.

WE'RE ALL PART OF THIS WORLD.

THEY'VE BEEN CREATED OVER
THESE BILLIONS OF YEARS.

HAWKING: THE ORIGINAL
PRIMITIVE LIFE HAS

BEEN RUNNING EVER SINCE IT FIRST
BEGAN AND IS NOW ONLY JUST
PASSING THROUGH YOU.

SO THAT IS WHAT WE ARE,

PART OF A SINGLE
ANCIENT PROCESS,

CLAMBERING ABOUT ON OUR
TINY BALL OF ROCK AS
IT ORBITS THE SUN,

PASSING THE CHAIN
REACTION ON AND ON.

WE ARE ALL ALREADY
BILLIONS OF YEARS OLD,

WHICH MAKES US PRETTY SPECIAL.

¶

Hawking: Where are we?

That's a pretty profound
question.

My name is Stephen Hawking.

I believe that anyone can answer
big questions for themselves.

Expert: The best experiments
are incredibly simple

but point us to profound truth.

Hawking: Follow the greatest
thinkers in history.

Hawking: Think like a genius.

¶