http://symphonyofscience.com A musical celebration of humanity, its origins, and achievements, contrasted with a somber look at our environmentally destructive tendencies and deep similarities with other primates. Featuring Jacob Bronowski, Alice Roberts, Carolyn Porco, Jane Goodall, Robert Sapolsky, Neil deGrasse Tyson and David Attenborough.
“Children of Africa” is the tenth installment in the ongoing Symphony of Science music video series. Materials used in the creation of this video are from:
BBC Incredible Human Journey
BBC Ascent of Man
BBC Life of Mammals
BBC Human Planet
BBC Walking With Cavemen
Carolyn Porco: Hollywood
Quest for Fire
Hubblecast 29A
What Makes Us Human (Leakey Foundation)
What Separates Us from Chimps (Sapolsky)
Chimpanzee
Neil Tyson – Human Intelligence
Gemini Observatory Time-lapse
[Jacob Bronowski]
Man is a singular creature;
He has a set of gifts which make him unique among the animals
So that unlike them, he is not a figure in the landscape
He is the shaper of the landscape
[Alice Roberts]
We are all children of Africa
They say this is where it all began
[Bronowski]
In a parched African landscape
Man first put his foot to the ground
[Roberts]
Africa was our only home
for tens of thousands of years
until a small handful of people made their way
out of Africa
[Carolyn Porco]
These beings with soaring imagination
Eventually flung themselves and their machines
Into interplanetary space
[Roberts]
We are all children of africa
This landscape has been home to humans
Two hundred thousand years
[Porco]
We have come so far
All of this is cause for great celebration
We have come so far
This is a story about us
[Roberts]
Those early Europeans
Were people like you and me
But it is humbling
When you see the challenges they faced
People like you and me
Overcame the Neanderthals
People like you and me
Made it through the ice age
[Refrain]
[Jane Goodall]
We are not the only beings
With personalities, minds, and feelings
Chimpanzees have very clear personalities
[Robert Sapolsky]
Take a chimp brain foetally
And let it go two or three more rounds of division
And out comes symphonies and ideology
[Neil deGrasse Tyson]
Everything that we are
That distinguishes us from chimps
Emerges from that one percent
Difference in DNA
[Roberts]
People like you and me
Overcame the Neaderthals
People like you and me
Made it through the ice age
[Refrain]
[David Attenborough]
Using his burgeoning intelligence,
This most successful of all mammals
Has exploited the environment to produce food
For an ever increasing population.
Instead of controlling the environment
For the benefit of the population
Perhaps it’s time we controlled the population
To allow the survival of the environment
I enjoyed watching the musical celebration of humanity and our origins and achievements. Yes we are all children of Africa, which is said to be the birthplace of the human race. From what I have learnt, Africa is our motherland and our ancestors migrated from Africa to other parts of the world. I also learnt about a recent documentary called “Motherland” some time ago that paid tribute to our motherland.
I recognise David Attenborough in the music video as I used to watch his BBC nature documentary series called The Living Planet when I was at a young age. I also has his book of the same title published by Readers Digest. I like learning about nature and our interrelationship with our Mother Earth.
A musical investigation into the causes and effects of global climate change and our opportunities to use science to offset it. Featuring Bill Nye, David Attenborough, Richard Alley and Isaac Asimov. “Our Biggest Challenge” is the 16th episode of the Symphony of Science series by melodysheep.
Visit http://symphonyofscience.com for more science remixes!
Materials used in the creation of this video come from:
– Are We Changing Planet Earth?
– Bill Nye – Climate
– Eyes of Nye – Climate Change
– Earth: The Operator’s Manual
– An Inconvenient Truth
– Hot Planet
– How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth
– Human Planet
Nature and Us 