New Aquarium Show Traces the Rise of Humans and Our Impact on the Planet

March 8, 2018

Long Beach, Calif.— The Aquarium of the Pacific has developed a new show for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Science on a Sphere®. Set to play daily in the Aquarium’s Ocean Science Center starting on March 15, the show traces human history from our species’ origins in Africa 300,000 years ago to our current population of 7.5 billion. It details how humans dispersed out of Africa and how changes in climate and environment affected populations’ movements and increasing diversity. It also reflects on the growing impact of humans’ on the environment with the hope for creating a more sustainable future for generations to come.

The new show is titled We are All Related: The Dispersal of Humans Across the World and is funded by a gift from John Molina, Aquarium board member. It was created by the Aquarium’s in-house audio visual staff with music by Icarus Music. The show was written by Agustin Fuentes, Aquarium of the Pacific President and CEO Dr. Jerry Schubel, and Margaret Schubel. Fuentes is a professor and chair of anthropology at the University of Notre Dame. It is the Aquarium’s fifteenth original show created for NOAA’s Science on a Sphere, all of which are available to the more than 100 institutions around the world that house a Science on a Sphere.

“Humans have had a dramatic history on Earth, from nomadic beginnings when human movements were driven by a changing climate to the modern era, when human activity is driving climate change and we have become the planet’s dominant species,” Dr. Schubel said. “This show is aimed at giving viewers the big picture, showing that humans are all connected and that we have the power to shape our planet’s future.”