SSC #21: The Sixth Mass Extinction by Trevor Cambron and Keren Perla

Stanford SciCast

Does it really matter if we're in the sixth mass extinction? Short answer: no. But it’s actually a little more complicated. In this episode of the Stanford SciCast, Trevor Cambron and Keren Perla discuss the debate about whether or not we are currently in the sixth mass extinction, and what it would mean to be in one. We talk to Stanford’s own Dr. Jonathan Payne, paleobiologist in the Department of Geological Sciences, about what the geologic record tells us about our current loss of biodiversity, and how knowledge of the past can influence our actions in the present. We also talk to Peter Brannen, award-winning science journalist and author of “Earth Is Not In the Midst of the Sixth Mass Extinction” about how to communicate the current unprecedented human-caused destruction of biodiversity, and what you can do to help prevent it. The big picture: ignore the sensationalist headlines, but take serious action against biodiversity loss. Resources: “Earth is Not In the Midst of the Sixth Mass Extinction,” Peter Brannen Jonathan Payne on Mass Extinction, Museum of Science, Boston “How Humans Cause Mass Extinctions,” Paul and Anne Elrich Credits: Image - Yuri_B, via Pixabay “Les Portes Du Futur,” Bill Vortex “Andante,” Dee Yan Kee “Waterfall,” Metre “Blessed Horizons,” Ketsa “Summer Rain,” Bio Unit “Submersible.mp3,” Xylo-Ziko “MidGrey Morning,” Niteffect “Bam,” BioUnit “Forces of Attraction,” Scott Holmes “Missing,” Scott Holmes “Space,” Chad Crouch “Pterodactyl”, Tony Phillips “Bomb Exploding”, Sound Explorer “Tree Frogs and Birds”, Mike Koenig