We set out to map the world — and accidentally built humanity's time machine. Now, AI is turning it into our planetary crystal ball.

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Google Earth saved 4,000 lives during Hurricane Katrina, reunited lost families, and discovered forests science didn't even know existed. But the real story starts with an $800/year spy tool watching a war unfold in 2003. Over 20 years, this mapping software evolved into something unprecedented: a living, breathing digital twin of Earth that lets anyone witness decades of change. Now with AI, it's becoming a planetary prediction engine. This is that untold journey from digital mirror to crystal ball.
Special thanks to:
- Rebecca Moore, Former Director, Google Earth
- Matt Hancher, Director of Engineering, Google Earth
- The Google Geo team
VIDEO CHAPTERS
00:00 Google Earth Origin Story
01:23 Sci-fi Spy Tech to Public Gift
06:22 Katrina – First Real‑World Test
09:47 Building a 3D Mirror World
15:24 Crowdsourcing Truth: Earth as Evidence
21:35 Living Dashboard for the Planet
27:58 The Mirror Becomes a Crystal Ball