《天造地設》是英國廣播公司（BBC）於2008年度最新製作的高清節目，節目製作歷時三年，以全新角度及拍攝科技探訪我們居住的地方——地球。主持人Dr.Iain Steward是著名地理學家，由他細說地球的故事，以及四十六億年來演變成今日面貌的過程。《天造地設》共五集，首四集由主持人帶領觀眾走訪世界各地，逐一介紹地球形成的四種要素：火山、大氣層、冰與海洋。觀眾可在埃塞俄比亞的岩漿湖、挪威的冰川與新西蘭的火山口感受地球的奧妙，了解四大要素如何在地球上孕育生命。主持人在最後一集為節目作總結，告訴觀眾地球的誕生和生命的存在基實建基於多次難得的巧合，地球是上天賜予的瑰寶。

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/1461/earth_biography.html

Earth The Biography:

Highlights the major events which have shaped the
Earth's history and allowed life to flourish. Presented by Dr Iain Stewart,
each episode will reveal a different force critical to the development of
Earth including volcanoes, the ocean, the atmosphere and ice. The series
follows Dr Stewart's personal journey to some of the most remote places on
the planet, from abseiling down into a lava lake in Ethiopia to cave diving
in the underwater caverns left by the impact of the meteorite that wiped
out the dinosaurs. He will discover how volcanoes saved the planet, how a
rainstorm lasted for thousands of years, and how the Mediterranean Sea once
dried up. Each individual film highlights the delicate balance of life on
Earth, and how its incredible history has been the story of disaster and
recovery.

Episode 1: Volcanoes

Volcanoes are one of natureˇs most awesome and destructive forces, but they
are also the life force and architect of our planet. They can raise up great
mountains and create new land, or they can level cities and destroy entire
civilizations. They provide a glimpse of the power of Earthˇs internal heat
source, without which it would have become a dead planet millions of years
ago. In this episode, Iain takes us on a journey to some of the most dramatic
places on Earth, starting in Ethiopia


Episode 2: Atmosphere

The atmosphere is Earthˇs protective layer, cloaking us in a warm, oxygen-rich
embrace and shielding us from the cold hostility of space. It acts as a natural
greenhouse, keeping the Earth 51 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than it would
otherwise be. Yet the atmosphere is also full of contradictions. Itˇs immensely
powerful but at the same time highly sensitive. Itˇs destructive, yet it
shelters us. It was created in part by the planetˇs first organisms, and it
continues to be essential for life.

Episode 3: Ice

Our icy adventure begins with host Dr. Iain Stewart in the Alps, where he goes
down an ice crevasse to show viewers how snowfall develops into expansive
masses. Then, we see how ice can shape the earth's topography giving rise to
features like Yosemite National Park and Manhattan Island, in NY. Finally,
journey to Greenland and see how ice sheets and glaciers are melting at a
phenomenal rate that is likely to accelerate over the coming years, changing
the world as we know it.


Episode 4: Oceans

Earthˇs oceans help make our planet different from every other planet in the
solar system. As far as we know, no other place is the right temp for liquid
water, the most essential ingredient for life to exist. The oceans are Earthˇs
primary stabilizing force, and their immense power helps to shape the appearance
and behavior of the entire planet and everything living on it. And they are
also the planet's great unknown - their deepest points have been visited less
than the surface of the moon.


Episode 5: Rare Planet

It has taken 4.6 billion years for the Earth to evolve from a barren rock into the
world we know today. Explore the forces beyond our planet that have determined
Earthˇs destiny -- forces of destruction and regeneration in the solar system
that created the planet and still protect it. And now the remarkable planet is
facing a new challenge: humankind. The question is, how will it survive?