How was the night sky key to our survival? | BBC Ideas

For most of human history, understanding the night sky was not the preserve of scientists, but a precious tool for our survival. Animation: Oliver Smyth, Heather Gratton, Ceri Barnes Narration: Kanishk Tharoor, academic consultant: Prof Clive Ruggles With thanks to Virginia Mills and Rupert Baker at the Royal Society Made in partnership with @royalsociety Subscribe to BBC Ideas 👉 https://bbc.in/2F6ipav 0:00 The Milky Way and the emu 0:39 Understanding the sky 1:04 Navigation and the Polynesians 2:00 Using the sky to judge time 3:31 The effects of light pollution 4:13 How the night sky made us who we are ____________________________ Do you have a curious mind? You’re in the right place. Our aim on BBC Ideas is to feed your curiosity, to open your mind to new perspectives, and to leave you that little bit smarter. So dive in. Let us know what you think. And make sure to subscribe! 👉https://bbc.in/2F6ipav Visit our website to see all of our videos: https://www.bbc.com/ideas And follow BBC Ideas on X: https://x.com/bbcideas #bbcideas #astronomy #navigation #sailing