Shane explores the history and science of cotton. A prehistoric coastline from North Carolina to Texas laid the foundation for a crop that re-shaped our history, our culture, and even our DNA.

A new six-part documentary series, hosted by biologist and Princeton University professor Shane Campbell-Staton, embarks on a journey to understand all the ways humans have transformed the planet. Part science series and part travel show, HUMAN FOOTPRINT takes viewers from farms to restaurants, from a high-tech lab to a sweltering street market, from pristine rain forests to the sewers of New York City. Stories of science, history, and culture reveal the complicated, conflicted, and remarkable species that is Homo sapiens. The series is not a “doom and gloom” tale of human villainy. Instead, it is an honest reckoning with our vast footprint and our species’ singular history of transforming the planet. As our power to reshape the planet grows, will our understanding of the world we inhabit ever catch up?