I recently interview paleoecologist Dr. Robert Dull to discuss his recent discovery that there was a volcanic eruption in 536 C.E. at Lake Illopango in El Salvador. How did this eruption impact the ancient world? And how can we use our knowledge of past supervolcanic eruptions to better understand their future threat to our species?
Read MoreBeyond Pangaea
Pangaea is often thought to have been the only supercontinent by most people. However, our planet goes through supercontinent cycles approximately every 600 million years. How many supercontinents have existed in the past? How many will exist in the future?
Read MoreAre You Ready For De-Extinction?
De-extinction is now a scientific possibility. Should we bring back animals from the Paleolithic? If so, how should we? What are the ethical implications of resurrecting extinct organisms? These are questions we will be facing this decade.
Read MoreConservation Answers In The Genes
When I was in Cameroon I had a chance to see first hand some of the challenges conservationists are currently facing. One of the biggest problems is trying to reintegrate individuals back into the wild to help ensure that wild populations remain vibrant, healthy, and diverse. Conservationists would be able to reintegrate many individuals if they knew their population of origin. Recent genetic studies may have finally offered a solution to this problem.
Read MoreA Positive Spin on Global Warming
Global Warming is a serious environmental problem. However, if we had left fossil fuels in the ground we would encounter an Ice Age 1,500 years from now that would make North America and Eurasia uninhabitable. Although, Global Warming poses many challenges to us as a species this century, and we need to stop burning fossil fuels immediately, it is important to remember that we can come out the industrial age with a bright climate future.
Read MoreThe Sixth Mass Extinction
Humans have been reorganizing the global ecosystem ever since we first migrated out of Africa. This has led to world organized around one species of megafauna, instead of a world organized around several megafauna. As a consequence, we may be living through a mass extinction event 80,000 years in the making.
Read MoreSuper Volcanoes: Our Biggest Threat?
There are few natural disasters that pose a threat to our species. However, super volcanoes have devastated the global biosphere in the past and if one were to occur today, it would seriously destabilize our civilization. At the moment our knowledge of super volcanoes is impoverished but current evidence suggests that there is one underneath Yellowstone National Park that could erupt soon on a geologic time scale.
Read MoreAn Evolutionary Success!
Evolutionary biologists have recently revealed a phylogenetic tree which depicts the evolutionary relatedness of all birds. Specifically it also reveals information about the tempo of bird evolution as well as the geographic locations of important diversification events. These findings have important relevance, not only to understand the natural history of life, but also to conservationists throughout the world.
Read MoreThe Biggest Myth
Climate change skeptics frequently defend the idea that climate has always changed in the past and that recent increases in global temperature is part of a natural cycle. However, this line of reasoning does not hold up to scrutiny and in the face of big history is misleading at best. All research has shown that recent global climate trends are caused by anthropogenic activities and pose a serious threat to our global civilization.
Read MoreClimate of Doubt (Fear, Corruption, and Lies)
A few days ago I watched Climate of Doubt, a PBS documentary hosted by John Hockenberry. Throughout the documentary Hockenberry reveals how the political desire and ability to reduce our carbon footprint has been transformed by money in politics. Special interest groups have developed a successful tactic to combating the scientific consensus that our planet is warming and we are the cause. Unfortunately this issue can’t be solved if we wait for a partisan divide to be resolved. We need action from the most powerful country on the planet now.
Read MoreA True Environmentalist
Jane Goodall is well-know for her work with chimpanzees in Tanzania. However, her work attempting to protect the environment and conserve all life has been her greatest contribution and gift to our species and planet. Although she will always be known as a famous primatologist, she is also a true environmentalist.
Read MoreThe State of Things
African great ape populations are facing several anthropogenic threats (e.g., hunting, disease transmission, habitat loss). A recent study has revealed that habitat loss may be the most critical and is a far larger threat than previously believed by experts. If the rate of habitat loss continues to increase, the African great apes may not see 2100.
Read MorePresidential Candidates on Science
The 2012 American presidential candidates frequently discuss economic and social issues. However, they are very rarely made to discuss the most important scientific issues of the day, despite the fact that our future as a species depends on scientific literacy and competence. In a recent science debate the two candidates discussed their thoughts on major issues like climate change, space flight and internet control.
Read MoreA Good or Bad Exchange?
The world changed in profound ways after 1492. The Columbian Exchange resulted in the transfer of divergent and previously isolated flora and fauna becoming transported to new landscapes. This forever changed natural history and human history. However, did the Columbian exchange reap irreparable damage on the biosphere as a whole? Was it a good or bad exchange?
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