Money is tied to self-preservation because we need it to survive, we need it to live. Early man was always looking for allies, to exchange or to get the goods that they needed to survive. Money is the most successful story imagined by humans, because it's the only story everyone believes. From a simple act of trade to the greed for gold to todayâs global economy, the meaning of money and what we value changes as civilization evolves. If modern money is a reflection of who we are, what does it say about us? This is ORIGINS. This image is from Origins: The Journey of Humankind.
The great Mongol emperor ruled one of the vastest kingdoms that stretches from current day Myanmar in Burma to Hungary. How does Kublai Khan unify his vast kingdom? Through money. He starts issuing money, as Marco Polo says, out of the barks of trees. He issues his money, and issues it in paper. And by edict, he starts to spread this money throughout his vast kingdom. Money is the most successful story imagined by humans, because it's the only story everyone believes. From a simple act of trade to the greed for gold to todayâs global economy, the meaning of money and what we value changes as civilization evolves. If modern money is a reflection of who we are, what does it say about us? This is ORIGINS. This image is from Origins: The Journey of Humankind.
Cape Washington, Antarctica: A group of adult emperor penguins stand together on the ice in Cape Washington, Antarctica. This image is from Penguinpalooza.
Devil Tower, WYO: Morgan Freeman and the Chief of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Nations and 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, look at the Devil's Tower off in the distance. This image is from The Story of God with Morgan Freeman.
Pongara National Park, Libreville, Gabonese Republic: Leatherback hatchlings use the moon and starlight reflection on the ocean to find their way to the sea, this one has hatched during early morning in Pongara National Park and struggles to find the right direction; February 2013. This image is from Wild Congo.
Minneapolis, Minn: Outside the Dorjee family home, Morgan Freeman speaks with nine year old Jalue Dorjee, the 8th reincarnation of Takshem Neuden Dorjee. This image is from The Story of God with Morgan Freeman.
Thar: Honoured above all of jodhpur's wild inhabitants, is the hanuman langur, believed to be the living incarnation of the monkey god. These are desert monkeys, the only primates that can survive in such unforgiving conditions. This image is from India's Wild Edens.
From the ice age, we have been fire creatures. Nothing else throughout human history explains our existence more than fire; itâs been harnessed and applied throughout countless centuries to define who we are and will become. Heat, nourishment, transportation, communication and annihilation, fire separated us from our simian ancestors and created communities, warriors, builders and explorers out of us. This image is from Origins: The Journey of Humankind.
Nagaland: The Naga remain closely associated with the natural world that surrounds them. Many animals are revered and the Nagas animistic beliefs are conveyed through songs, dancing and Shamanic rituals. This image is from India's Wild Edens.
Toraja, Indonesia: Children in Sangalla, a town in the Toraja region of South Sulawesi, make friends with a new-born puppy. This image is from Explorer 2.0.
Cotonou, Benin, Africa: The Surgery Ship, the 'Africa Mercy' appears on the horizon on it's way to Benin, West Africa. This image is from Surgery Ship.
Kibale National Park, District Fort Portal, Republic of Uganda: A young Chimpanzee in Kibale National Park is trying its first steps without his mother, practicing to climb trees; August 2012. This image is from Wild Congo.