The Molecule That Made Us

(wildlife chirping) Probably because I use it everyday, I take water for granted. I'm Kelly McEvers and I'm a radio journalist, and for this story I have teamed up with filmmakers and scientists to make a podcast style documentary about what might be the most important substance on our planet, water. And since embarking on this journey, I am now starting to see this molecule everywhere. We call it the water lens. Look through it, and you'll see water inside everything that lives. (elephant trumpeting) You'll see rivers in the sky, you'll even see water shaping human evolution. You'll see water in the blueprint of civilization, you'll see water connected to changes and even conflicts across the world. And, for me, after seeing all this, I think one thing becomes clear. We really can't take water for granted anymore.