How Did Earth Start? | Tumble Episode
- tumblepodcast
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
How did the Earth begin, and how do scientists know? In this episode, we'll meet Bill Bottke and learn how mysterious, ancient asteroids might hold the secrets to how the solar system began. We'll also hear an incredible story about the very beginnings of our planet--so buckle up for an amazing adventure!
🎧 Listen to the Episode
🌎 What Kids Will Learn
How scientists think Earth formed
How scientists use space rocks like asteroids and meteorites to uncover clues about Earth's earliest history and why it can support life.
🔎About The Featured Expert
William F. Bottke is a planetary scientist who studies how planets, moons, and asteroids formed and changed over billions of years. He is the Executive Director of the Science Directorate at Southwest Research Institute and leads the Center for Lunar Origin and Evolution for NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute. Bill uses powerful computer simulations to recreate the early solar system—modeling asteroid belts, Trojan asteroids, and near-Earth objects—to uncover clues about Earth’s origins. He serves on the science teams for NASA missions including OSIRIS-REx, Lucy, Psyche, and NEO Surveyor, as well as the UAE’s Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt. Born in Minnesota and trained in physics and planetary science, Bill loves turning deep-space data into clear, exciting stories about where our planet came from.
🧑🏫 Classroom & Home Resources
🔗 NGSS Alignment: MS-ESS1-2, MS-ESS1-3
📜Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect; Scale, Proportion, and Quantity; Stability and Change; Patterns
📚 Learn More:
NASA Solar System Exploration - A website full of resources about our solar system, with kid friendly activities, articles, and more!
NASA's Lucy Mission - Learn about the Lucy Mission, the one that Bill is working on to help learn more about how our solar system formed!
NASA's Space Place - Games and resources for kids who want to learn more about our solar system.
💬 Discussion Questions
In the episode it was mentioned that nobody really knows how Earth got its water. What do you think the answer is?
In the episode, Bill called himself a "storyteller." How was his story about how Earth got started different from other stories you've heard about Earth's creation? How is it similar?
Did you learn anything new from this episode?
🎧 More Episodes About Space: How Big is the Universe?, The Quest for the Edge of the Universe, The Hunt for Black Holes
📚 For Teachers: Explore our Audio Courses for NGSS-aligned science learning.
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