Life From Light • 2012 • episode "S1E1" • How to Grow a Planet

Category: Nature | Download:

In this first episode Iain journeys from the spectacular caves of Vietnam to the remote deserts of Africa. He sees how plants first harnessed light from the sun and created our life-giving atmosphere. He uncovers the epic battle between the dinosaurs and the tallest trees on the planet. And, using remarkable imagery, he shows plants breathing - and for the first time talking to each other.

Make a donation

Buy a brother a hot coffee? Or a cold beer?

Hope you're finding these documentaries fascinating and eye-opening. It's just me, working hard behind the scenes to bring you this enriching content.

Running and maintaining a website like this takes time and resources. That's why I'm reaching out to you. If you appreciate what I do and would like to support my efforts, would you consider "buying me a coffee"?

Donation addresses

BTC: bc1q8ldskxh4x9qnddhcrgcun8rtvddeldm2a07r2v

ETH: 0x5CCAAA1afc5c5D814129d99277dDb5A979672116

With your donation through , you can show your appreciation and help me keep this project going. Every contribution, no matter how small, makes a significant impact. It goes directly towards covering server costs.

How to Grow a Planet • 2012 • 3 episodes •

Life From Light

Life From Light

In this first episode Iain journeys from the spectacular caves of Vietnam to the remote deserts of Africa. He sees how plants first harnessed light from the sun and created our life-giving atmosphere. He uncovers the epic battle between the dinosaurs and the tallest trees on the planet. And, using remarkable imagery, he shows plants breathing - and for the first time talking to each other.

2012 • Nature

The Power of Flowers

The Power of Flowers

In the second episode, Iain discovers how flowers have transformed our planet. He journeys to the remote islands of the South Pacific to track down the earliest flowers. In the deserts of Africa and rainforests of Vietnam, he sees how they brought brilliant colour to the most barren landscapes and sculpted the earth itself. And he learns how they drove the evolution of all animals - kick-starting our human story.

2012 • Nature

The Challenger

In the third episode, Iain discovers the remarkable impact of just one plant: grass. On the savannah of South Africa he sees how grass unleashed a firestorm to fight its greatest enemy, the forests. He shows how cutting your finger on a blade of grass shows us how it transformed life in the oceans. In Senegal, he meets the cleverest chimps in the world. And, in the ruins of the oldest temple on Earth, he tells the extraordinary story of how grass triggered human civilisation.

2012 • Nature

You might also like

Social Networkers

Social Networkers

Chris looks at social intelligence in the animal kingdom and finds out why it is that, for animals, being together means being clever. He looks at how lions hunt in teams and each hold a very specific position, how vampire bats build trust and donor networks through grooming, and how wild wolves first became domesticated and transformed into man's best friend.

S1E4 • Chris Packham's Animal Einsteins • 2021 • Nature

The Most Amazing Senses

The Most Amazing Senses

In the final episode of animal Super Senses, we look at special weapons that help some animals to govern the wilderness. In this episode, we literally see it, hear it, touch it, smell it and taste it as animals do. Come and see the champions of the animal supremeness yourselves.

S1E13 • Animal Super Senses • 2020 • Nature

The Power of Sound

The Power of Sound

How much do you know about animal superpowers? Follow the everyday lives of prairie dogs, howler monkeys, and rattlesnakes, as they harness the power of sound to protect themselves.

2019 • Nature

Forest Elephants: Rumbles in the Jungle

Forest Elephants: Rumbles in the Jungle

Deep in the rainforest of Central Africa lies an elephant oasis - a remarkable place that holds the key to the future for forest elephants. Over the last 20 years, Andrea Turkalo has been studying these enigmatic giants, getting to know over 4,000 intimately. She has begun to unravel the secrets of their complex social lives and the meanings of their unique vocalisations. New acoustic research is shedding light on the many mysteries that still surround forest elephant society. Will these endangered elephants finally speak out and tell Andrea what it is they need to survive?

Natural World • 2010 • Nature

The Frozen North

The Frozen North

How animals survive when the northern half of Asia is transformed by snow and ice each year. Featuring footage of Himalayan wolves hunting the fast-moving chiru antelope, red-crowned cranes learning to perform intricate mating dances, and Amur tigers in the forests where Russia, China, and North Korea meet - an area that is also home to the world's largest owls.

S1E3 • Asia • 2024 • Nature

New Beginnings

As spring arrives, animals across the planet begin new life cycles, from births to migrations, taking advantage of fresh opportunities in a warming world.

S1E1 • A Wild Year on Earth • 2020 • Nature