17. The Golden Spike

09/09/2024 15 min

Listen "17. The Golden Spike"

Episode Synopsis

At a conference in Mexico, one scientist’s outburst launches a global quest. Hannah Fry follows a group of researchers on the hunt for a ‘golden spike’: the boundary, marking a shift into a dramatic new geological period dominated, not by volcanoes and asteroids, but the influence of humans. From plastics and concrete to nuclear fallout, the data they uncover reveals a planet profoundly changed. But can these scientists persuade their colleagues - and the world? Producer: Ilan Goodman
Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls
Story Editor: John Yorke