Nebulous Earth follows the development of the nineteenth-century's most popular explanation for the origin of the solar system, Laplace's Nebular Hypothesis.

Nebulous Earth follows the development of the 19th century's most popular explanation for the origin of the Solar System, Laplace's Nebular Hypothesis. This theory supposes that a flattened mass of gas extending beyond Neptune's orbit cooled and shrank, throwing off in the process successive rings that in time coalesced to form the several planets. Throughout the century, the hypothesis also played an integral role in suggesting the theory of evolution's respectability in biology. Scientists long suspected that the Earth's interior is the seat of powerful forces that shape the Earth's surface and can threaten our lives with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. From fiery fluid to rigid solid to electromagnetic dynamo, Professor Brush recounts their theories about what actually occurs in the Earth's interior.