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The mysterious origins of life on Earth - Luka Seamus Wright

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TEDEd Animation

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Billions of years ago, simple organic compounds assembled into more complex coalitions that could grow and reproduce. At the time, Earth had widespread volcanic activity and a hostile atmosphere that made it almost devoid of a suitable environment for living things. So where did life begin? Luka Wright searches for the cradle of life that gave rise to the billions of species that inhabit our planet.

There is a caveat concerning the logical soundness of the origin of life at alkaline hydrothermal vents: there is no freely available carbon dioxide. What is a potential solution to this problem?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Luka Seamus Wright
  • Director Nick Hilditch
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Animator Nick Hilditch
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Associate Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
  • Script Editor Eleanor Nelsen
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma

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