Wonderwork Earth
Where science meets storytelling: A visual and emotional journey into the heart of Earth – unfolding the deep-time secrets of a truly extraordinary and unique planet.
A love poem to our planet
This talk embarks on a fascinating discovery through the hidden mechanisms of our planet. With clarity, depth, and striking visuals, it reveals how Earth’s system works as a whole: from its geological roots to the dynamic interactions between atmosphere, oceans, rocks, and life.
Revealing the bigger picture
Earth is a highly complex, interconnected system. Every part – from bacteria to continents – plays a role. Everything is linked, across vast stretches of time. To truly understand our planet, we need to think on planetary scales. This talk unfolds these processes: through clear explanations, spectacular photography, and a look into nature’s deeper connections.
We explore how mountains rise and vanish, how bacteria gave birth to the atmosphere that made complex life possible, how rocks govern the climate – and why Earth’s system is so easily disrupted by rapid, far-reaching change. Above all, it reminds us how fragile this intricate balance really is.
Stardust and oceans in the mountains
Earth originated from the remnants of exploded stars – a gigantic cosmic recycling project. From this matter, a unique planet emerged, where location, chemistry, and greenhouse conditions aligned to allow complex life. We explore why life without microbes would be impossible, how ocean basins open and close, why seafloors end up in high mountain ranges – and how chaos gives rise to order and diversity.
A snapshot in time
Modern Earth is the result of 4.5 billion years of change. This talk shifts the focus away from humans while making one thing clear: we are just a fleeting moment in the planet’s long history – entirely dependent on a system we are only beginning to understand.
The lecture invites to adopt this perspective: a sense of awe for a planet that is anything but ordinary – a finely tuned wonder of nature.
Knowledge that inspires
Stunning photography brings natural transformation to life – from desert landscapes and polar ice to deep geological formations. This talk informs, but also moves. Because once you understand how Earth really works, you’ll never look at our planet the same way again.
Format & Duration
In-person or online | 30–100 minutes | generous Q&A time available
Topics covered
- Looking up into the starry night sky: where we come from
- Why we’re all astronauts
- What makes Earth so unique
- Bacteria: our ancient ancestors
- Living rocks and the origin of oxygen
- What our planet is made of
- How continents break apart and oceans open up
- The fleeting life of the oceans
- Ocean floors in lofty mountain ranges
- The dynamic inside-out story of a living planet: From core to crust and back
- The silent power of weather: shaping mountains over time
- Climate rollercoaster: From Snowball Earth to Sauna Earth
- From weather to climate
- Greenhouse effect and natural climate shifts
- Homo sapiens: the disruptive newcomer