Planet Earth - a cosmic sphere. Our home.  A lump of rock – which, for many thousands of years – has been viewed as a living, thinking thing - Mother Earth. 

 

At a time when now more than ever our relationship with Planet Earth is under scrutiny, Bettany Hughes explores our relationship with Mother Earth past and present through the Greek Goddess Gaia and her relatives, Kybele, an Eastern Goddess adopted by the Romans and the Egyptian Goddess Ma’at.  

 

The Ancients believed the earth to be an intelligent organism who nourished and judged - destroying those who disrespected her. So, were they right? Bettany explores cutting edge science to discover whether earth really is sentient – something that can feel, perceive and respond. She also asks the central question: should Gaia rid herself of the burden of humanity?