We know that Venus was essentially Earth-like for about a half billion years, but within a very short period of time (geologically speaking) Venus began to change. It made a quick descent into hell.

Now magma oceans of lead flow across it's surface. The sunlight comes in and is magnified, intensified. For hundreds of thousands of years the heat has been building;

Stronger and stronger the heat of the sun is drawn to Venus. The heat builds on itself, growing in intensity. Now the planet is nothing more than a molten soup.

But could something have been there before? If giant cities had been built they would me melted to slag by now. If even one hundred years ago the Great Wall of China, or some similar artifact had been standing surely it is gone by now.

The story of mankind is the story of earth. But the story of earth is much greater than our trifling 300,000 years. We are meer upstarts compared to the dinosaurs who dominated the planet for millions of years.

What is really amazing about mankind is this sudden birth of consciousness. We know that man has been essentially the same physically for about 300,000 years. For 290,000 years man lived much like any other animal.

He may have had a little better grunts than the average animal-a slight distinguishment in his speech, but he wasn't really very special. Yet in a fraction of our time on this planet we built a civilization that spans the planet. Our cities cover vast expanses.

This all happened in about 10,000 years-a fraction of the time we have had brains capable of such feats. What were we doing the other 190,000 years?

Mars

We look across it's surface and see a frozen, almost airless desert. We are pretty sure nothing ever lived on this surface. Or are we?

It is tantalizing. Like life almost began there, but couldn't secure itself before decaying into ice.

Did an ocean once move across it's surface? Where is all the water? What happened?

Are these unconnected facts? I know better. I have found a truth so profound that it will upset your very beliefs in who we are, and what the universe is like. But please, read no more, unless you are prepared to question your very nature. Allow me to guide you through the history of our solar system.

I will tell you what passed on these three planets.