The surface of the Earth is constantly recycled through the motion of plate tectonics.

So how do researchers study what it used to look like? Planetary scientist Roger Fu talks to host Maddie Sofia about hunting for rocks that can tell us what Earth looked like a few billion years ago, in the early days of the evolution of life.

Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.

This episode was produced by Emily Vaughn with help from Rebecca Ramirez. It was edited by Viet Le and fact-checked by Emily Vaughn.

Short Wave Podcast

It’s science for everyone, using a lot of creativity and a little humor. Join host Maddie Sofia for science on a different wavelength.