The ground beneath you is moving, about as fast as your fingernails grow. Plate tectonics is the single idea that explains earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain ranges, ocean trenches and why Africa and South America look like puzzle pieces. We trace how a theory that was mocked for decades became the foundation of modern geology.

You'll come away understanding what the plates actually are, what happens at each type of boundary, and why Australia is geologically one of the quietest places on Earth.

Talking Science is sponsored by Kinsoft. Visit www.kinsoft.com.au

Further reading: Geoscience Australia; USGS plate tectonics resources; Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.