Human Role in Earth Evolution Lecture by David Grinspoon, 8:30 pm ET, DC

04-Jan-2013 through 04-Jan-2013

David Grinspoon, the Baruch S. Blumberg Chair of Astrobiology at the Library of Congress, and Curator of Astrobiology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, will present a lecture on January 4, 2013 at 8:30 pm on the topic "Human Role in Earth Evolution:  Will the Anthropocene be an Event, an Era or a Transition?   The lecture is hosted by the Philosophical Society of Washington and is free and open to the public.  It will be held at the John Wesley Power auditorium adjacent to the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC.   Additional information on the lecture and precise directions to the auditorium are in the announcement, which is reproduced below, and on the Philosophical Society's website.

Philosophical Society of Washington presents:

The Human Role in Earth Evolution: Will the Anthropocene be an Event, An Era or a Transition?

David Grinspoon
Library of Congress Chair of Astrobiology
Friday, January 4 2013 8:30 PM

Abstract:

This lecture will examine the history of planetary change as we know it from studies of the earth and other planets, particularly the highly dramatic changes that occur during planetary evolution. The lecture will offer a taxonomy of these catastrophic changes and examine their etiology. It will highlight the role of biological phenomena in some of these catastrophic changes in the earth's past and examine the possible effects of human activities on the evolution of such changes. Finally, the lecture will consider the implications of catastrophes in planetary evolution for the prospects of advanced life elsewhere in the universe.

About the Author:

DAVID GRINSPOON studies the prospects for life on other planets. He is Curator of Astrobiology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Adjunct Professor of Astrophysical and Planetary Science at the University of Colorado, and currently holds the first appointment as the Library of Congress Chair of Astrobiology. He is a long time advisor to NASA, currently is Co-Investigator for the Radiation Assessment Detector on the Curiosity Rover, and he serves as Interdisciplinary Scientist on ESA's Venus Express. He also is Contributing Editor and writes the "Cosmic Relief" column for Sky & Telescope. His technical papers have been published in Nature, Science and numerous other publications. He is the author of several books, writes often for the press and generalist periodicals, including the Boston Globe, NY Times, LA Times, Scientific American, Natural History, The Sciences, Slate and Seed, and he has appeared widely on radio and television. He is the recipient of the Carl Sagan Medal of the American Astronomical Society and his books have won a number of awards, including the PEN Center award for non-fiction.


The John Wesley Powell Auditorium is adjacent to the Cosmos Club, 2170 Florida Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008. Entrance is through the club gate, the first right-hand entrance on Florida Avenue north of the intersection with Massachusetts Avenue NW. The auditorium entrance is to the left of the gate.

The Cosmos Club is within walking distance of the Dupont Circle Metro stop (Q Street exit), the Connecticut Avenue bus routes (L2, L4), and the Massachusetts Avenue bus routes (N2, N4). THIS LECTURE IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

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