The earth is the basis of existence of the human race, yet how much do we really know about it? Until fifty years ago, mankind understood little about the planet we inhabit. But observation form satellites and rapid progress in science over the past half-century have revealed much about the birth of the earth and its subsequent evolution. Now, for the first time, humanity is turning its attention to the history of our planet, which predates the history of civilization by some 4.6 billion years. The spread of this knowledge is exerting a subtle influence on our sense of values: whatever our nationality or race, we are beginning to think of ourselves as citizens of the earth. Knowledge of a world can create a new value. Making use of the best in new electronic image technology, the Miracle Planet series introduces in concrete visual form the latest, often complex, scientific information about the earth. This second program in the twelve-part series, The Great Rift, illustrates that our planet is a fireball with a thin crust broken in places by great rifts that allow it to cool slowly and therefore to support life. This series is very popular among viewers, and the rating of this program was 21.3%.