Boise State University Department of Physics, the Honors College and Sawtooth Hall, and the Idaho Environmental Forum welcome David Grinspoon, astrobiologist, award-winning science communicator, and prize-winning author, for a lecture on his new book, “Earth in Human Hands.”
Grinspoon’s talk will take place from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Monday, April 23, in the Boise State Special Events Center. The event is free and open to the public. Grinspoon will follow the lecture with a book signing at 8:30 p.m. in the lobby. Books will be available for purchase at the event.
For the first time in Earth’s history, our planet is experiencing a confluence of rapidly accelerating changes prompted by one species: humans. Climate change is only the most visible of the modifications we’ve made — up until this point, inadvertently — to the planet. And our current behavior threatens not only our own future but that of countless other creatures. By comparing Earth’s story to those of other planets, Grinspoon will discuss what a strange and novel development it is for a species to evolve to build machines, and ultimately, global societies with world-shaping influence.
Grinspoon is a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute and adjunct professor of astrophysical and planetary science at University of Colorado Boulder. His research focuses on climate evolution on Earth-like planets and potential conditions for life elsewhere in the universe.
Grinspoon is involved with several interplanetary spacecraft missions for NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration, ESA – European Space Agency, and JAXA. His technical papers have been published in Nature, Science and numerous other journals, and he has given invited keynote talks at conferences around the world.
Grinspoon’s popular writing has appeared in Slate.com, Scientific American, Magazine of Natural History, Nautilus, Astronomy Magazine, seed, The Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and Sky and Telescope, where he is a contributing editor and writes the quasi-monthly Cosmic Relief column.
Grinspoon is the author and editor of several books, including “Lonely Planets: The Natural Philosophy of Alien Life,” which won the PEN Center USA Literary Award for Nonfiction. Also a musician, he currently leads the House Band of the Universe. He resides in Washington, D.C. with his wife and an imaginary dog.
Learn more about Grinspoon at funkyscience.net.
Contact professor Brian Jackson with any questions.
BY: ANNA WEBB PUBLISHED 2:43 PM / APRIL 19, 2018