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When Earth Was Bombarded by Asteroids

Season 53 Episode 1 | 3m 41s

Four and a half billion years ago, Earth was battered by relentless asteroid impacts powerful enough to vaporize oceans and melt its crust. Despite the chaos, life emerged anyway.

National Corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Carlisle Companies and Viking Cruises. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the NOVA Science Trust and PBS viewers.
Extras
Surprising evidence at the world’s oldest temple overturns our understanding of human history.
A deadly—and growing—global weather phenomenon mystifies scientists.
Explore mammals’ surprising origins, long before the age of dinosaurs.
Do speech buttons really allow dogs to talk to us? Scientists investigate.
New evidence sheds light on the remarkable life—and mysterious collapse—of the ancient jungle city.
What if violent asteroid impacts actually jump-started life on Earth? Explore a dramatic theory.
They're older than King Tut, Ötzi the Iceman, and even the ones found in the Atacama Desert.
From fruit flies to snake venom, evolutionary biologist Sean Carroll explains what drives evolution.
Can we really bring extinct species back? Evolutionary biologist Beth Shapiro says yes.