Chris Herd
Killer Asteroids: The Next Extinction Event?
Tue, 14 May 2019
5:30 PM Doors Open
6:00-7:00 PM Speaker + Q&A
Accent Lounge
8223 104 St. Edmonton (View on map)
We live on a planet in a Solar System that has lots of loose rock still in orbit around the Sun. Earth history is full of extinction events, some of which are linked to impacts of asteroids. Today, there are many asteroids in orbits that are a possible threat to life on Earth. How likely is it that the next great extinction event would be caused by asteroid impact? Is there anything we could do to prevent it? What are asteroids made of, anyway? Chris Herd address these and other questions related to the survival of our species in the context of a “shooting gallery” Solar System.
BIO
Dr. Christopher (Chris) Herd is a geologist who studies the planets and moons of the Solar System as understood mainly through meteorites. He is the curator of the University of Alberta Meteorite Collection, the largest University-based meteorite collection in Canada, and an internationally-recognized expert in the best methods for curation and handling of pristine planetary samples under cold conditions in the world’s only cold meteorite curation facility.
Raise The Bar is a program designed by The Friends of the University of Alberta Society to provide interesting, engaging learning opportunities that break down real or perceived barriers to education and connect the University and its faculty to the broader community. We’re raising the bar on the way people consume content.