We have archives of films, newspapers, even seeds -- what if we could make one for the entire surface of the earth? Drawing on his experience mapping an ancient city in the Honduran jungle, archaeologist Chris Fisher makes the case for scanning the whole planet with LiDAR -- a technology that uses lasers shot from an airplane to map the ground -- in order to preserve our cultural and ecological heritage.

Chris Fisher: Let's scan the whole planet with LiDAR

Let's scan the whole planet with LiDAR

Archaeologist and founder of the Earth Archive

The urgent battle against climate change is paralleled with the race to document Earth's landscapes before they alter forever.

The Earth Archive project aims to LiDAR-scan the planet, creating a digital legacy for future generations to study and marvel.

LiDAR technology reveals unseen details of ancient civilizations, reshaping archaeological practices and conservation efforts.