You know how trippy it is when you GoogleEarth your house and you can see your car in the driveway? Or how your GPS knows exactly where and when to turn? Well, you have geospatial technology to thank for these wonders. Penn State Public Broadcasting’s recently debuted Geospatial Revolution Project gives you the opportunity to learn more about this field of science than you probably already do.

Tom Kieter, executive producer and Penn State faculty member, started the project just over two years ago. After learning about the magnitude of geospatial science himself, Kieter was inspired to spread the knowledge. Stephanie Ayanian, producer and co-director, explained, “The main goal is to get people to understand how this technology is changing and touching our lives.”

The episode, which is the first of four, dives into the history, from the Babylonians to modern-day. It also gives you a little lesson on what geospatial science entails. With the use of satellites and computers, we are able to understand the Earth in unimaginable ways. Used for globalization, tracking diseases, mapping, and more, the field is omnipresent.

As well as discussing the logistics, the episode explores a prime example of how this relatively new wave of technology played a huge role in Haiti relief efforts. It explained how our advanced mapping technologies were wildly successful in locating people in need, and communicating those needs. Seriously, Big Brother has nothing on the geospatial technology of today.

The video is professionally produced and surprisingly entertaining for something so educational and science-y. It only takes thirteen minutes and it’ll make you feel smarter, so watch it and the trailer below.