Bedrock: Earth's Earliest History

• 43: Postcards From the Edge

  In 1971, two geologists traveled to the edge of Greenland's ice sheet. What they found were the oldest rocks known at the time, 3.8-3.7 billion years old. Shockingly, they were in decent condition, sparking a half-century of geology stories. Today we'll begin our tour of Isua, the final destination of Season 2. Along the way, we'll meet a Holocaust survivor who landed on top of the world, visit an iron mine surrounded by glaciers, and start to meet the highest-quality rocks of this season.Extra Credit: Eat some candy, some shrimp, or some Indian food.Donate to support the show- anything is appreciated!

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• Audience Survey Results

  Two months ago, I made an audience survey focusing on one topic: how would you like to support the show? Many folks answered, and here's what you said about donations, Patreon, ads, and merch. If you want to give your own opinion, take the survey here, put a comment below, or send a message to [email protected] you'd like to give a donation, you can click here- any amount is appreciated!

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• 42: The Question of Life

  Nearly 30 years ago, one paper claimed to find the oldest evidence for life on Earth. How does that evidence hold up in 2025? Are these fossils or duds? Don’t panic, we’ll answer these questions to life, the universe, and everything in due time. Along the way, we’ll meet the most abundant mineral in the human body, an important fertilizer, and finish a trilogy of intense debates over a small Greenland isle. Extra Credit: Read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, eat cake with sprinkles, and make sure to floss afterwards.Donate to support the show- anything is appreciated!Click here for the audience survey!Click here to read Dylan's Nature paper!

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• 41: The Oldest Seafloor

  In 1991, a mysterious, striped red and gray rock was discovered on a cold Greenland isle. Years later, this rock would rock the scientific world with multiple debates about the early oceans and life. What exactly is this rock, and why do we care? Stay tuned, and on the way, we’ll learn how scientists can officially argue with each other.Extra Credit: Eat something with peanut butter and chocolate, pet a large and a small dog, or make sure your vaccines are up to date!Donate to support the show- anything is appreciated!Click here for the audience survey!Click here to read Dylan's Nature paper!

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• 40: The Time War

  How old is the oldest slice of Earth's seafloor? The answer is more contentious than you would think. Today, we visit one of the most debated locations in the show: a small island off the Greenland shore named Akilia. Everything about these rocks has been contested, and we'll meet three scientists who form cornerstones of the debates.Extra Credit: Watch something on an old CRT TV, or count tree rings in a stump.

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