Until the Apollo moon landings, our only samples of material from space were in the form of meteorites. These meteorites gave us an insight into the origins of our solar system, and might even have provided the complex organic molecules that allowed life to develop on our planet.

In this episode we have an awesome chat with noted meteoriticist Greg Brennecka. We explore some of the history of meteorite research, the origins of life on Earth and the free samples of Mars rock that arrived on Earth in the form of meteorites. Greg also gives us a highlights package from his new book 'Impact, How Rocks From Space Led to Life, Culture, and Donkey Kong'.

Meteorites might have brought the ingredients of life to Earth, but they've caused some mass extinctions as well. "...the meteorites giveth, and the meteorites taketh away." This is a fascinating insight.

Find Greg's book 'Impact' here

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