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What if Earth were Unique?

July 30, 2020

How likely is it that we will one day discover a planet with an ecosystem like Earth's? What if the Earth's diverse and complex life forms are unique?

https://p.dw.com/p/3g9Va
 DW Sendung Dokus KW 39 | Ist die Erde einzigartig?
Image: Point du Jour

Schmetterlinge auf Blumenwiese
Image: Imago Images/Xinhua

Scientists are increasingly convinced that the presence of life on Earth is the result of a succession of happy coincidences, each one more improbable than the one before it, which when taken together nearly qualify as a miracle. Or, could it be that earthlings are the winners of some cosmic lottery with crazy odds?

While the origins of life remain shrouded in mystery, we have learned a lot about why life on our planet became possible. For decades, astronomers have been combing the universe, discovering more and more galaxies and solar systems. They've found new worlds and distant planets, but surprisingly none of these had environments that would result in an ecosystem similar to the one on Earth.

Guatemala Vulkan Pacaya
Image: Johann Ordonez/AFP/Getty Images

A whole series of improbable cosmic and terrestrial events such as meteor strikes and volcanic eruptions must have all come together at just the right times to shape our planet. Guided by the work of astronomers, cosmologists and biologists, this documentary takes viewers on a tour that explores how our planet and the life on it came into existence. It’s a journey that’s led even the most sober of scientists to ask, "What if our world really is unique?" 


Broadcasting Hours: 

Part 1: 

DW English

THU 11.02.2021 – 01:15 UTC
THU 11.02.2021 – 05:15 UTC
FRI 12.02.2021 – 09:15 UTC
SAT 13.02.2021 – 19:15 UTC
SUN 14.02.2021 – 02:15 UTC

Cape Town UTC +2 | Delhi UTC +5,5 | Hong Kong UTC +8
Lagos UTC +1 | Cape Town UTC +2 | Nairobi UTC +3 
San Francisco UTC -8 | Edmonton UTC -7 | New York UTC -5
London UTC +0 | Berlin UTC +1 | Moscow UTC +3

DW Deutsch+

FRI 12.02.2021 – 09:15 UTC

Vancouver UTC -8 | New York UTC -5 | Sao Paulo UTC -3 


Part 2: 

DW English

THU 18.02.2021 – 01:15 UTC
THU 18.02.2021 – 05:15 UTC
FRI 19.02.2021 – 09:15 UTC
SAT 20.02.2021 – 19:15 UTC
SUN 21.02.2021 – 02:15 UTC

Cape Town UTC +2 | Delhi UTC +5,5 | Hong Kong UTC +8
Lagos UTC +1 | Cape Town UTC +2 | Nairobi UTC +3 
San Francisco UTC -8 | Edmonton UTC -7 | New York UTC -5
London UTC +0 | Berlin UTC +1 | Moscow UTC +3

DW Deutsch+

FRI 19.02.2021 – 09:15 UTC

Vancouver UTC -8 | New York UTC -5 | Sao Paulo UTC -3