Changing of the Gods

Of all the creatures to have ever crawled, swum or flown over the Earth, only one creature has evolved the ability to escape the planet - us. For Brian, our ascent marks the pinnacle of our achievements as a species. So who are we? How - from a universe made of stars, rocks and endless space - did our civilisation emerge?

Across Uranus-Pluto transits, history rhymes with recurring cycles bursting with radical social thought and the explosion of mass social movements for justice and freedom – qualities associated with Uranus. Each time there’s also an evolutionary transformation on huge scales – Pluto. Richard Tarnas guides us through an archetypal comparison of today’s radical movements with the 1960s. History doesn’t just rhyme – it practically plagiarizes. One consistent correlation is the renaissance of youth movements. We meet contemporary youth movement leader, hip-hop artist and climate activist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez to see the revolution now. We look back to the uncanny echoes of ‘60s youth movements.

Brian Cox explores the ingredients needed for an intelligent civilisation to evolve in the universe - the need for a benign star, for a habitable planet, for life to spontaneously arise on such a planet, and the time required for intelligent life to evolve and build a civilisation. Brian weighs the evidence and arrives at his own provocative answer to the puzzle of our apparent solitude.

Uranus-Pluto cycles consistently show a pattern of a revolt to overcome extreme inequality and ruling elites: the 99% against the 1%. We track the arc of social movements that were catalyzed in the West by the French Revolution and that have recurred across subsequent transits in the clash between democracy and plutocracy.

Once again history rhymes as Uranus-Pluto transits coincide with the cyclical rise and intensification of Women’s Rights Movements. From the French Revolution to today, during each transit there’s a dramatic resurgence of feminism and peak thresholds in the quest for equal rights for women – Uranus. Each time, there’s also the shadow side of patriarchal backlash to retain power – Pluto. African American Ifa-Orisha priestess Luisah Teish recounts the spellbinding West African Myth of Oshun and the Divine Feminine that sets the archetypal stage for the episode.

Brian concludes his exploration of our place in the Universe, asking the question what is next for the ape that went to space. He visits Northern Spain, exploring a cave which was home to our ancient ancestors. He also heads to the Arctic, to see what sets us apart from other species. Brian heads to the top of the world - Svalbard, were he unlocks the secret to our long term survival.