LIFE BEYOND | Chapter 1: The Dawn (4K). An exploration of alien life & our place in the universe.

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Two possibilities exist:

Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the universe,

Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the universe, or we are not.

Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the universe, or we are not.
Both are equally terrifying.

Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the universe, or we are not.
Both are equally terrifying.
Arthur C. Clarke

Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the universe, or we are not.
Both are equally terrifying.
Arthur C. Clarke
In all of time,

In all of time,

on all the planets of all the galaxies in space.

what civilizations have risen,

looked into the night,

seen what we see,

asked the questions that we ask?

"Are we alone?"

"Is Earth the only chapter in the story of life?"

"The answers lie somewhere in distant space - and distant time."

"For the first time, the truth is finally within our reach."

"The search will reveal who we are"

"and who we might become."

LIFE

LIFE BEYOND

CHAPTER I

CHAPTER I
The Dawn

"In the search for life out there, we must first look inward."

What we see around us is staggering complexity.

How is it possible?

"What does it take to create life?"

"What does it take to create life?"
Living organisms are created by chemistry.

Living organisms are created by chemistry.

We are huge packages of chemicals.

And what are the ideal conditions for chemistry?

Well, first, you need energy.

I
Well, first, you need energy.

I
E
Well, first, you need energy.

I
EN
Well, first, you need energy.

I
ENE
Well, first, you need energy.

I
ENER
Well, first, you need energy.

I
ENERG
Well, first, you need energy.

I
ENERGY
Well, first, you need energy.

I
ENERGY
e.g
Well, first, you need energy.

I
ENERGY
e.g Sunlight,
Well, first, you need energy.

I
ENERGY
e.g Sunlight,

I
ENERGY
e.g Sunlight, Geothermal Heat

I
ENERG
e.g Sunlight, Geothermal Heat

I
ENER
e.g Sunlight, Geothermal Heat

I
ENE
e.g Sunlight, Geothermal Heat

I
EN
e.g Sunlight,

I
E
e.g

I
E

I

But not too much.

What you want is just the right amount

and planets it turns out are just right,

because they are close to stars,

but not too close.

You also need a great diversity

II
You also need a great diversity

II
HE
You also need a great diversity

II
HEA
You also need a great diversity

II
HEAV
You also need a great diversity

II
HEAVY
You also need a great diversity

II
HEAVY E
You also need a great diversity

II
HEAVY EL
You also need a great diversity

II
HEAVY ELE
You also need a great diversity

II
HEAVY ELEM
You also need a great diversity

II
HEAVY ELEME
You also need a great diversity

II
HEAVY ELEMEN
You also need a great diversity

II
HEAVY ELEMENT
You also need a great diversity

II
HEAVY ELEMENTS
You also need a great diversity

II
HEAVY ELEMENTS
e.g
of chemical elements.

II
HEAVY ELEMENTS
e.g Oxygen,
of chemical elements.

II
HEAVY ELEMENTS
e.g Oxygen, Carbon,
of chemical elements.

II
HEAVY ELEMENTS
e.g Oxygen, Carbon, Sulfur
of chemical elements.

II
HEAVY ELEMENTS
e.g Oxygen, Carbon, Sulfur

II
HEAVY ELEMENT
e.g Oxygen, Carbon, Sulfur

II
HEAVY ELEMEN
e.g Oxygen, Carbon, Sulfur

II
HEAVY ELEME
e.g Oxygen, Carbon,

II
HEAVY ELEM
e.g Oxygen, Carbon,

II
HEAVY ELE
e.g Oxygen, Carbon,

II
HEAVY EL
e.g Oxygen,

II
HEAVY E
e.g

II
HEAVY

II
HEAV

II
HEA

II
HE

II
H

II

I

And you need liquid,

such as water.

III
such as water.

III
L
such as water.

III
LI
such as water.

III
LIQ
such as water.

III
LIQU
such as water.

III
LIQUI
such as water.

III
LIQUID
such as water.

III
LIQUID
such as water.

III
LIQUID
e.g
such as water.

III
LIQUID
e.g Water
such as water.

III
LIQUID
e.g. water

Why?

Well, in gases,

atoms move past each other so fast

that they can't hitch up.

In solids, atoms are stuck together.

They can't move.

In liquids,

they can cruise and cuddle

and link up to form molecules.

Liquid water is just so good for getting evolution going.

Molecules can dissolve in the water

to form more complex chains.

Now, where do you find such goldilocks conditions?

Well, planets are great,

and our early Earth was almost perfect.

Earth

Earth
4 Billion Years Ago

It was just the right distance

from its star to contain huge oceans of liquid water.

And deep beneath those oceans,

at cracks in the Earth's crust,

fantastic chemistry began to happen

atoms combined in all sorts of exotic combinations.

"The exact recipe is still a mystery, but the ingredients for life
are simple - energy, organic molecules, and liquid water."

"Somewhere in the seas of early Earth, basic chemistry
became biology - perhaps even more than once."

"The first cells were likely born in hot volcanic waters,
in conditions once thought impossible for biology."

"The closer we study life, the more extreme places we find it thriving."

"The closer we study life, the more extreme places we find it thriving."
Here on our planet,

Here on our planet,

microbes have adapted

to survive the most hostile conditions.

Arid deserts,

the frozen Himalayas,

in trenches under thousands of tons of pressure

in the ocean deeps.

In the vacuum of a space simulator,

life forms have been flourishing for years

without oxygen.

"New research suggests that life emerged over 4 billion years ago,
when Earth was an alien and deadly place."

"The planet was ravaged by intense volcanism
and an asteroid storm that lasted 100 million years."

"Yet even in these extreme conditions,
life quickly found a foothold."

"Yet even in these extreme conditions,
life quickly found a foothold."
Very very quickly,

Very very quickly,

as soon as the Earth cooled off after its formation,

we know that life began here.

Because it happened quickly here on Earth,

we think it is going to happen quickly

on other planets as well.

"The story of Earth gives us hope that life could be universally common."

"It teaches us that life is fast acting, tenacious,
and made of basic, common ingredients."

"After 4 billion years of isolation,
the search for our cosmic kin has finally begun."

"Where there is water, there is life - and so our best chance
is to look for ocean worlds like Earth."

"Our search for Earth-like planets has only just begun,
and the findings are tantalizing."

KEPLER-62F

KEPLER-62F
Distance: 1200 Light Years.

KEPLER-62F
Distance: 1200 Light Years.
Size: 1.4x Earth.

KEPLER-62F
Distance: 1200 Light Years.
Size: 1.4x Earth.
Temperature: ≥ -85ºF.

KEPLER-62F
Distance: 1200 Light Years.
Size: 1.4x Earth.
Temperature: ≥ -85ºF.
Age: ~7 billion years.

KEPLER-62F
Distance: 1200 Light Years.
Size: 1.4x Earth.
Temperature: ≥ -85ºF.
Age: ~7 billion years.
Possible Water World

KEPLER-62F
Distance: 1200 Light Years.
Size: 1.4x Earth.
Temperature: ≥ -85ºF.
Age: ~7 billion years.

KEPLER-62F
Distance: 1200 Light Years.
Size: 1.4x Earth.
Temperature: ≥ -85ºF.

KEPLER-62F
Distance: 1200 Light Years.
Size: 1.4x Earth.

KEPLER-62F
Distance: 1200 Light Years.

KEPLER-62F

TRAPPIST-1D

TRAPPIST-1D
Distance: 41 Light Years.

TRAPPIST-1D
Distance: 41 Light Years.
Size: 0.77x Earth.

TRAPPIST-1D
Distance: 41 Light Years.
Size: 0.77x Earth.
Age: ~7.5 billion years.

TRAPPIST-1D
Distance: 41 Light Years.
Size: 0.77x Earth.
Age: ~7.5 billion years.
Temperature: ≥ 20ºF.

TRAPPIST-1D
Distance: 41 Light Years.
Size: 0.77x Earth.
Age: ~7.5 billion years.
Temperature: ≥ 20ºF.
Possible Water World

TRAPPIST-1D
Distance: 41 Light Years.
Size: 0.77x Earth.
Age: ~7.5 billion years.
Temperature: ≥ 20ºF.

TRAPPIST-1D
Distance: 41 Light Years.
Size: 0.77x Earth.
Age: ~7.5 billion years.

TRAPPIST-1D
Distance: 41 Light Years.
Size: 0.77x Earth.

TRAPPIST-1D
Distance: 41 Light Years.

TRAPPIST-1D

TEEGARDEN-B

TEEGARDEN-B
Distance: 12 Light Years.

TEEGARDEN-B
Distance: 12 Light Years.
Size: 1.07x Earth.

TEEGARDEN-B
Distance: 12 Light Years.
Size: 1.07x Earth.
Age: 8 billion years.

TEEGARDEN-B
Distance: 12 Light Years.
Size: 1.07x Earth.
Age: 8 billion years.
Minimum temperature: ≥ 20ºF.

TEEGARDEN-B
Distance: 12 Light Years.
Size: 1.07x Earth.
Age: 8 billion years.
Minimum temperature: ≥ 20ºF.
Possible Water World

TEEGARDEN-B
Distance: 12 Light Years.
Size: 1.07x Earth.
Age: 8 billion years.
Minimum temperature: ≥ 20ºF.

TEEGARDEN-B
Distance: 12 Light Years.
Size: 1.07x Earth.
Age: 8 billion years.

TEEGARDEN-B
Distance: 12 Light Years.
Size: 1.07x Earth.

TEEGARDEN-B
Distance: 12 Light Years.

TEEGARDEN-B

K2-18B

K2-18B
Distance: 111 Light Years.

K2-18B
Distance: 111 Light Years.
Size: 2.7x Earth.

K2-18B
Distance: 111 Light Years.
Size: 2.7x Earth.
Temperature: -100 -116ºF.

K2-18B
Distance: 111 Light Years.
Size: 2.7x Earth.
Temperature: -100 -116ºF.
Confirmed atmospheric water vapor

K2-18B
Distance: 111 Light Years.
Size: 2.7x Earth.
Temperature: -100 -116ºF.

K2-18B
Distance: 111 Light Years.
Size: 2.7x Earth.

K2-18B
Distance: 111 Light Years.

K2-18B

"We have barely scratched the surface.
Nature's trove of secrets is bottomless."

"We have barely scratched the surface.
Nature's trove of secrets is bottomless."
We know that the galaxy is awash in water.

We know that the galaxy is awash in water.

It’s awash in organic molecules,

and complex chemistry.

All of the things that we know were

necessary for life to begin on this planet

exist on abundance throughout the galaxy.

Did something similar to what happened on our own planet

happen on those other planets?

"Looking at the raw numbers, the existence of alien life
seems almost inevitable."

"The latest data suggest that up to 1/4 of stars have rocky planets
orbiting in their habitable zone - the right distance for liquid water."

"In our Milk Way galaxy alone, that's ~50 billion worlds like Earth."

"In the entire universe, the possible number of habitable planets is staggering:"

"In the entire universe, the possible number of habitable planets is staggering:"
100,000,000,000,000,000,000.

"Imagine each flash of light represents an Earth-like planet."

"You would have to watch this animation for over a billion years to view them all."

"Each one with a history as rich and unique as Earth."

"Trillions and trillions of chemical soups, stewing for eons."

There are more habitable

Earth-mass planets in the observable volume

of the universe than there are grains of sand

on all the beaches on Earth.

"Among this abundance of worlds,
many will be deadly to life as we know it."

"There will be planets in the habitable zone that are
scorched, frozen, and suffocated by poison gases."

"Many will lack an atmosphere, critical for temperature regulation,
or have one that is deadly."

"Venus, once thought to potentially support life,
is now sterilized by a crushing, toxic atmosphere."

"But life may not be confined to the habitable zone."

"Far from the warmth of their star, the moons
of giant gas planets may be hidden oases for life."

"Their energy comes not from starlight, but from gravity -
the lurching push and pull of the host planet."

"Icy Enceladus has it all: a huge subsurface ocean
with hydrothermal vents spewing the chemistry of life."

"Titan is especially alluring - larger than Mercury
and speckled with methane lakes and organic compounds."

"In 2026, NASA plans to send a drone to Titan,
seeking out signs of life in its valleys and craters."

"There may be 100 trillion exomoons in our galaxy alone -
100 times the number of planets."

"Some may even be Earth sized,
with atmospheres and surface water."

"With so many places to find life, it seems only a matter of time
before we make a discovery."

"Some think we already have."

"On June 30, 1976, the Viking lander on Mars
found something that still remains unexplained."

"After being injected with nutrients, Martian sol samples
expelled signature radioactive gas - just like soils from Earth."

Sterilized Soil |

Sterilized Soil | Sterilized Soil |

Sterilized Soil | California Soil | Martian soil

"Was this signal a natural phenomenon, or our first
encounter with alien biology?"

The discovery of just one bacteria on Mars,

or any other body of the Solar System

would indicate that the whole chain of evolutions.

Cosmic, chemical and biological,

is at work everywhere.

In that case,

the creation of life anywhere in the universe

would be more the rule than the exception.

"If we haven't found life already, it may not be long until we do."

"NASA scientists now think we are on the verge of discovery."

"NASA scientists now think we are on the verge of discovery."
Within all of our lifetimes we're going to understand

"NASA scientists now think we are on the verge of discovery."
that there is life on other bodies in the Solar System.

that there is life on other bodies in the Solar System.

We're going to understand the implications of that

for evolution of life here on Earth.

We're going to find planets around

other stars that we can say

we see potential signs of habitability in their atmospheres.

That's all going to happen in the next 10 to 20 years.

How exciting is that?

We're on the verge of things that the

people have wondered about for millennia:

"Are we alone?"

And here we are on the verge of finding that out.

"If we do find life out there, what will we discover about ourselves?"

"What chapter is Earth in the story of life?"

The universe is nearly 14 billion years old.

And our galaxy is something like 12 billion years old.

So, there could be life out there

that could be dramatically more advanced

than the life that we have here on this planet.

"Is Earth a latecomer on the cosmic stage?"

"Just how ancient could life be?"

100 Thousand Years Ago

1 Million Years Ago

5 Million Years Ago

10 Million Years Ago

50 Million Years Ago

100 Million Years Ago

200 Million Years Ago

300 Million Years Ago

400 Million Years Ago

500 Million Years Ago

1 Billion Years Ago

2 Billion Years Ago

3 Billion Years Ago

4 Billion Years Ago

5 Billion Years Ago

10 Billion Years Ago

13.8 Billion Years Ago

Event: The Big Bang

"For its first few million years, the cosmos was too hot for life as we know it."

"The ambient temperature would have boiled you alive."

Event: The First Star

"When it was finally cool enough for life, there were no stars and planets.
Only huge lumbering clouds of hydrogen."

"After 70 million years, gravity took hold of these clouds
and spun them into the first generation of stars."

"The first stars were massive and bright,
but there was no life to watch them rise."

"Vital heavy elements were still being forged in their hot stellar cores.
Not even the Big Bang was hot enough to create them."

"Vital heavy elements were still being forged in their hot stellar cores.
Not even the Big Bang was hot enoughto create them."
The only elements that were created on The Big Bang were hydrogen,

The only elements that were created on the Big Bang were hydrogen,

helium and a little bit of lithium.

All the stuff that makes your life livable

those elements weren't created on the Big Bang.

The only place they were created

is in the fiery cores of stars

and the only way they could get into your body

is if the stars were kind enough to explode.

Event: Death And Rebirth

"The explosive death of the first mid-sized stars
seeded the cosmos with the ingredients for life."

"From their ashes rose a second generation of suns -
this time with rocky planets dancing around them."

"This is the moment: the raw ingredients for life together
for the first time, ~13.7 billion years ago."

"Some believe the conditions for life existed even earlier, in the warm afterglow of creation."

"As the heat from the Big Bang faded,
the universe passed through a goldilocks era."

"Some 15 million years after time began,
the ambient temperature reached a balmy 75º F (24º C)."

"For millions of years, it was warm in all directions,
like an endless summer day on Earth."

"In theory, stars and planets could have formed this early on,
in hypothesized ultra-dense regions of space."

"If such regions existed, liquid water could have flowed abundantly,
even on rogue planets far from any star."

"Could this have been dawn of life?
Alien beings feeding off the heat of the Big Bang?"

"Somewhere out there may be a planet with life
nearly as old as the universe itself."

"With a 10 billion year head start, the universe could be teeming with
life far more advanced than our own."

"Despite decades of searching, no sign of alien life
has ever been confirmed, intelligent or otherwise."

"So where is everybody?"

"Could we really be alone?"

"Maybe primitive life is common, but intelligence is exceedingly rare."

"Maybe space is just too vast for feasible communication."

"Or maybe we are the first."

"Could we be the opening chapter in a sprawling history of life?"

13.8 Billion Years

14 Billion Years

15 Billion Years

16 Billion Years

17 Billion Years

18 Billion Years

19 Billion Years

20 Billion Years
"The universe is young, and the vast majority
of planets have yet to be born."

21 Billion Years
"The universe is young, and the vast majority
of planets have yet to be born."

22 Billion Years
"The universe is young, and the vast majority
of planets have yet to be born."

23 Billion Years
"The universe is young, and the vast majority
of planets have yet to be born."

24 Billion Years
"The universe is young, and the vast majority
of planets have yet to be born."

25 Billion Years
"The universe is young, and the vast majority
of planets have yet to be born."

30 Billion Years
"The universe is young, and the vast majority
of planets have yet to be born."

35 Billion Years
"The universe is young, and the vast majority
of planets have yet to be born."

40 Billion Years
"The universe is young, and the vast majority
of planets have yet to be born."

45 Billion Years
"The universe is young, and the vast majority
of planets have yet to be born."

50 Billion Years
"The universe is young, and the vast majority
of planets have yet to be born."

55 Billion Years
"The universe is young, and the vast majority
of planets have yet to be born."

60 Billion Years
"The universe is young, and the vast majority
of planets have yet to be born."

65 Billion Years
"The universe is young, and the vast majority
of planets have yet to be born."

70 Billion Years
"The universe is young, and the vast majority
of planets have yet to be born."

80 Billion Years

90 Billion Years

100 Billion Years

110 Billion Years

120 Billion Years

130 Billion Years

140 Billion Years

150 Billion Years
"The ingredients for life will be stewing
for another 100,000,000,000,000 years."

200 Billion Years
"The ingredients for life will be stewing
for another 100,000,000,000,000 years."

250 Billion Years
"The ingredients for life will be stewing
for another 100,000,000,000,000 years."

300 Billion Years
"The ingredients for life will be stewing
for another 100,000,000,000,000 years."

350 Billion Years
"The ingredients for life will be stewing
for another 100,000,000,000,000 years."

400 Billion Years
"The ingredients for life will be stewing
for another 100,000,000,000,000 years."

450 Billion Years
"The ingredients for life will be stewing
for another 100,000,000,000,000 years."

500 Billion Years
"The ingredients for life will be stewing
for another 100,000,000,000,000 years."

600 Billion Years
"The ingredients for life will be stewing
for another 100,000,000,000,000 years."

700 Billion Years
"The ingredients for life will be stewing
for another 100,000,000,000,000 years."

800 Billion Years

900 Billion Years

900 Billion Years
"From this perspective, we are the dawn:
the opening melody in a symphony of life."

1 Trillion Years
"From this perspective, we are the dawn:
the opening melody in a symphony of life."

2 Trillion Years
"From this perspective, we are the dawn:
the opening melody in a symphony of life."

4 Trillion Years
"From this perspective, we are the dawn:
the opening melody in a symphony of life."

8 Trillion Years
"From this perspective, we are the dawn:
the opening melody in a symphony of life."

16 Trillion Years
"From this perspective, we are the dawn:
the opening melody in a symphony of life."

32 Trillion Years
"From this perspective, we are the dawn:
the opening melody in a symphony of life."

32 Trillion Years

64 Trillion Years

70 Trillion Years

80 Trillion Years

90 Trillion Years

95 Trillion Years

~100 Trillion Years Later

Event: Last Star Dies
~100 Trillion Years Later

"What might come long after us?"

"Red dwarf stars can live up to 10 trillion years,
bathing their planets in starlight for eons."

"Life is much more probable on these time scales,
where conditions are stable for vast periods of time."

"Any beings living close to these stars would have to contend
with violent solar flares that continually threaten extinction."

"Many of these planets would be tidally locked - one side permanently
exposed to the sun, the other frozen in darkness."

"But as Earth has taught us, life is remarkably adaptable."

"What forms might life take when it has trillions of years to evolve?"

"One day, somehow, the story of life will come to an end."

"If we are the first chapter of that story, we have the chance
to carry the torch of life far into the future."

"And if biology does persist far into the future,
then we live in a privileged moment."

In later chapters, the universe will seem far different.

"The expansion of spacetime will make distant stars invisible,
and the night skies will go dark."

"Perhaps life in the far future will wonder:
What it was like to live in the universe's brilliant early days?"

"We are lucky enough to know the answer."

"All we have to do is look up."

Hand Crafted By Melodysheep

Hand Crafted By Melodysheep
Supported By

Hand Crafted By Melodysheep
Supported By
Protocol Labs

Supported By
Protocol Labs
Featuring The Voices Of

Protocol Labs
Featuring The Voices Of
Douglas Rain

Featuring The Voices Of
Douglas Rain
Orson Welles

Douglas Rain
Orson Welles
David Christian

Orson Welles
David Christian
Michelle Thaller

David Christian
Michelle Thaller
Andrew Siemion

Michelle Thaller
Andrew Siemion
Dan Werthimer

Andrew Siemion
Dan Werthimer
Avi Loeb

Dan Werthimer
Avi Loeb
Ellen Stofan

Avi Loeb
Ellen Stofan
Lawrence Krauss

Ellen Stofan
Lawrence Krauss
Concept, Music & Visuals By

Lawrence Krauss
Concept, Music & Visuals By
Melodysheep / John D. Boswell

Concept, Music & Visuals By
Melodysheep / John D. Boswell
Additional Visuals By

Melodysheep / John D. Boswell
Additional Visuals By
Julius Horsthuis

Additional Visuals By
Julius Horsthuis
Konstantin Kovalenko

Julius Horsthuis
Konstantin Kovalenko
NASA

Konstantin Kovalenko
NASA
Evolve

NASA
Evolve
Special Thanks To

Evolve
Special Thanks To
Juan Benet

Special Thanks To
Juan Benet
Julius Horsthuis

Juan Benet
Julius Horsthuis
Konstantin Kovalenko

Julius Horsthuis
Konstantin Kovalenko
My Patreon Supporters

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LIFE

LIFE BEYOND

Next on Life Beyond:
Make contect with intelligent life
Surviving the end of the universe
The physics of alien life
& more

Subtitler:
Ernesryst Sautrie
Erick Soares Figueiredo
fpetras