The human brain is a remarkable exception in the grand scheme of life. It’s easy to assume that once life began, the evolution of beings like us was destined to happen. However, consciousness was not a guaranteed outcome. For more than 2 billion years, Earth hosted life without any brains at all. Even now, a staggering 90% of living organisms lack a brain. The journey of how life and our peculiar planet converged to give rise to consciousness is filled with strikingly improbable and seemingly unnecessary coincidences.
Show
One Strange Rock
Episode
S01E09
Air Date
May 21, 2018