Evolution 2:Great Tranformation

Rating:
Summary: "Great Transformations" and "Extinction" with "Evolution 2"
Review: To be clear, this second DVD in the PBS "Evolution" series has the second and third episodes. The "Evolution" series is not only about the profound impact the evolutionary process has had on our understanding of the world around us but also about the various versions of the controversial theory that have been expounded by scientists for over a century. The series basically focuses on five key concepts regarding evolution, sandwiched between episodes that constitute a dramatic introduction and a controversial coda.

After the dramatized look at the life of Charles Darwin and "Darwin's Dangerous Idea," the series turns to some key issues with regards to evolution. Episode 2, "Great Transformations" explores the evolutionary changes that caused the incredible diversity of animal life that exists on earth. The focus is on the development of the four-limbed body plan, which is explained in the context of how animal life moved from water to land and eventually to human beings, thereby answering the key question of why are human connected to all life.

In contrast, Episode 3, "Extinction!" represents the flip side of evolutionary transformations, explaining the how and why behind the fact that 99.9 percent of all species that have ever lived on earth are now extinct. This leads to the provocative question as to whether human beings are going to cause the next mass extinction on the planet. You have probably seen some of Hollywood's speculations on how human beings are going to bring about the end of the world as we know it, so you might as well give a more scientific view on the possibilities.

The key thing here is that I am someone who never even took Biology in high school (Ecology and Life Through the Microscope if you must know) and everybody knows at the end of Trivial Pursuit to ask me a Science & Nature question. But I could fully understand and appreciate the science being explained in these two episodes. In fact, taking the macro view of science, as opposed to dissecting some poor animal, actually appeals to me in terms of knowledge worth pursuing.

Rating:
Summary: "Great Transformations" and "Extinction" with "Evolution 2"
Review: To be clear, this second DVD in the PBS "Evolution" series has the second and third episodes. The "Evolution" series is not only about the profound impact the evolutionary process has had on our understanding of the world around us but also about the various versions of the controversial theory that have been expounded by scientists for over a century. The series basically focuses on five key concepts regarding evolution, sandwiched between episodes that constitute a dramatic introduction and a controversial coda.

After the dramatized look at the life of Charles Darwin and "Darwin's Dangerous Idea," the series turns to some key issues with regards to evolution. Episode 2, "Great Transformations" explores the evolutionary changes that caused the incredible diversity of animal life that exists on earth. The focus is on the development of the four-limbed body plan, which is explained in the context of how animal life moved from water to land and eventually to human beings, thereby answering the key question of why are human connected to all life.

In contrast, Episode 3, "Extinction!" represents the flip side of evolutionary transformations, explaining the how and why behind the fact that 99.9 percent of all species that have ever lived on earth are now extinct. This leads to the provocative question as to whether human beings are going to cause the next mass extinction on the planet. You have probably seen some of Hollywood's speculations on how human beings are going to bring about the end of the world as we know it, so you might as well give a more scientific view on the possibilities.

The key thing here is that I am someone who never even took Biology in high school (Ecology and Life Through the Microscope if you must know) and everybody knows at the end of Trivial Pursuit to ask me a Science & Nature question. But I could fully understand and appreciate the science being explained in these two episodes. In fact, taking the macro view of science, as opposed to dissecting some poor animal, actually appeals to me in terms of knowledge worth pursuing.