How geology built civilisation | with Anjana Khatwa | Part 1
Can rocks speak? Earth scientist Anjana Khatwa says yes — and in this talk, she'll teach you how to listen. ▶ Watch Part 2 here: https://youtu.be/DaNuwuokitU
Filmed at the Ri on 26th April 2026.
Anjana takes us on a journey through deep time, weaving together cutting-edge earth science with indigenous wisdom from cultures across the world. From the jaw-dropping pink sandstone caves of Petra, Jordan — formed 500 million years ago before plants even had roots — to the sacred granite domes of Yosemite and the volcano mythology of Japan, she reveals how rocks have always been storytellers. We just forgot how to hear them.
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? Get Anjana's book — The Whispers of Rock: Stories from the Earth:
https://geni.us/sFqMOb
(Longlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Winifred Holtby Prize)
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Anjana Khatwa is an award-winning earth scientist, presenter and writer who has worked for several universities, the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and the National Trust.
She has been given the Geographical Award for public engagement by the Royal Geographical Society, the RH Worth Award by the Geological Society of London and the Halstead Medal from the Geologists' Association.
Anjana lives with her family in Dorset in a house filled with rocks and fossils collected from all over the world. The Whispers of Rock is her first book.
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction — can rocks speak?
1:03 The Whispers of Rock: the book
2:15 Inside the caves of Petra, Jordan
5:07 How a 500-million-year-old sandstone forms
6:53 Why the rock glows with colour
7:23 What makes a geologist?
8:04 Indigenous wisdom as science
8:24 Delicate Arch and the vision quest
9:43 Anjana's Hindu roots and Mataji
11:49 Why we've lost our connection to rocks
13:32 The rock cycle explained
15:20 Mount Fuji and Shinto creation myths
17:42 How Japan's people made sense of volcanoes
20:28 The Sierra Nevada and the gold rush
23:20 Half Dome and the Awinichie story
26:41 The lichen that proves the legend
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The Royal Institution is a world-leading science education charity with a 200-year history of bringing the public face-to-face with leading scientists. Support us: https://www.rigb.org/support-us
#Geology #EarthScience #IndigenousWisdom #Rocks #Science #RoyalInstitution
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The Ri is on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/royalinstitution
and TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ri_science
Listen to the Ri podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ri-science-podcast
Donate to the RI and help us bring you more lectures: https://www.rigb.org/support-us/donate-ri
Our editorial policy: https://www.rigb.org/editing-ri-talks-and-moderating-comments
Subscribe for the latest science videos: http://bit.ly/RiNewsletter
Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.
Filmed at the Ri on 26th April 2026.
Anjana takes us on a journey through deep time, weaving together cutting-edge earth science with indigenous wisdom from cultures across the world. From the jaw-dropping pink sandstone caves of Petra, Jordan — formed 500 million years ago before plants even had roots — to the sacred granite domes of Yosemite and the volcano mythology of Japan, she reveals how rocks have always been storytellers. We just forgot how to hear them.
--
Become a channel member to unlock exclusive content and early access:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join
Subscribe for regular science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe
---
? Get Anjana's book — The Whispers of Rock: Stories from the Earth:
https://geni.us/sFqMOb
(Longlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Winifred Holtby Prize)
—
Anjana Khatwa is an award-winning earth scientist, presenter and writer who has worked for several universities, the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and the National Trust.
She has been given the Geographical Award for public engagement by the Royal Geographical Society, the RH Worth Award by the Geological Society of London and the Halstead Medal from the Geologists' Association.
Anjana lives with her family in Dorset in a house filled with rocks and fossils collected from all over the world. The Whispers of Rock is her first book.
—
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction — can rocks speak?
1:03 The Whispers of Rock: the book
2:15 Inside the caves of Petra, Jordan
5:07 How a 500-million-year-old sandstone forms
6:53 Why the rock glows with colour
7:23 What makes a geologist?
8:04 Indigenous wisdom as science
8:24 Delicate Arch and the vision quest
9:43 Anjana's Hindu roots and Mataji
11:49 Why we've lost our connection to rocks
13:32 The rock cycle explained
15:20 Mount Fuji and Shinto creation myths
17:42 How Japan's people made sense of volcanoes
20:28 The Sierra Nevada and the gold rush
23:20 Half Dome and the Awinichie story
26:41 The lichen that proves the legend
—
The Royal Institution is a world-leading science education charity with a 200-year history of bringing the public face-to-face with leading scientists. Support us: https://www.rigb.org/support-us
#Geology #EarthScience #IndigenousWisdom #Rocks #Science #RoyalInstitution
-
The Ri is on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/royalinstitution
and TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ri_science
Listen to the Ri podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ri-science-podcast
Donate to the RI and help us bring you more lectures: https://www.rigb.org/support-us/donate-ri
Our editorial policy: https://www.rigb.org/editing-ri-talks-and-moderating-comments
Subscribe for the latest science videos: http://bit.ly/RiNewsletter
Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.
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