Happy 100th birthday David Attenborough! Nature salutes you

"The clip, filmed in 1978 for the landmark BBC series Life on Earth: A Natural History, demonstrates what has become Attenborough's trademark over his 70-year career: the communication of new, surprising and complex phenomena by showing rather than telling. There's no lecture here - just curiosity, mischief and arresting visual impact."

"Attenborough is in his element, quietly demolishing a widely held perception - bolstered over decades by films such as King Kong - that these shy and peaceful creatures pose a violent threat to humans. The clip shows two young mountain gorillas playing with the broadcaster in Rwanda, later joined by the gorillas' watchful mother."

"It's hard to overstate Attenborough's influence on science broadcasting. In the early decades of television, programmes fronted by experts usually involved men giving lectures to the camera, with photography and graphics having a secondary role. Attenborough was no less an expert and, unusually for someone at the BBC at the time, had studied science: geology and zoology at the University of Cambridge, UK."

"But he brought a more involved, engaging approach, getting out into the field. His films are a personal journey of discovery, but the spotlight is shared. Life on Earth, a 13-part series of hour-long episodes that aired in 1979, told a sweeping story of the origins and evolution of life. It took three years to make, and Attenborough and his crew travelled 2.1"

Two young mountain gorillas play with David Attenborough in Rwanda, later joined by their mother, challenging the belief that gorillas are violent threats to humans. The 1978 footage from Life on Earth: A Natural History demonstrates a communication style centered on showing rather than lecturing, using curiosity, mischief, and striking visuals. Attenborough’s influence on science broadcasting is described as unusually engaging for early television, combining expertise with field immersion. He studied geology and zoology at Cambridge and shared discovery through collaborative filmmaking. Life on Earth, a 13-part series aired in 1979, presented origins and evolution of life and required extensive travel and production effort.

Read at Nature