Brian makes his way to the volcanic landscapes of South East Asia, where he confronts science and humanity’s most enduring questions, what is life abd how did it begin?

Brian continues with his investigation into whether the emergence of life was an inevitable consequence of the physical laws that govern the universe. He makes his way around America and meets some extraordinary creatures that reveal how the senses evolved.

Brian makes his way to the hot spots of Southern Africa and Madagascar. The 100 million plant and animal species that live represent under one per cent of all the species that have ever existed on the planet.

Brian travels around Australia to learn more about the physics of the largest and smallest inhabitants of the planet.

Brian thinks about what it is about the Earth that makes it a home for life and asks what ingredients were necessary to transform this once barren planet into the world as it is today.