Programme Index

Discover 11,128,835 listings and 281,627 playable programmes from the BBC

How Earth Made Us

Episode 4: Fire

Duration: 59 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC Two ScotlandLatest broadcast: on BBC Two HD

Professor Iain Stewart continues his epic exploration of how the planet has shaped human history.

Iain explores man's relationship with fire. He begins by embarking on an extraordinary encounter with this terrifying force of nature - a walk right through the heart of a raging fire.

Fire has long been our main source of energy, and Iain shows how this meant that the planet played a crucial role in Britain's industrial revolution, whilst holding China's development back.

Along the way he dives in a mysterious lake in Oregon, climbs a glacier of salt, crawls through an extraordinary cave in Iran and takes a therapeutic bath in crude oil. Show less

About this data

This data is drawn from the data stream that informs BBC's iPlayer and Sounds. The information shows what was scheduled to be broadcast, meaning it was/is subject to change and may not be accurate. More