EARTH AT THE BEGINNING AND THE END

Expert insights into the reasons for life on this planet and why it may cease to exist

Contact: Amy Gautschi (206) 685-9221
agautsch@u.washington.edu

//FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE//

SEATTLE (March 20, 2002)—Why is there life on Earth? Can we continue to take it for granted? University of Washington paleontologist Peter Ward and astronomer Don Brownlee share their insights at a free lecture on the UW campus in Seattle at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 2. The Ends of the World: Astrobiology and Armageddon, will focus on the history and future of life on Earth. It is the first of four lectures in the 2002 UW Science Forum, Exploring Our World: Large and Small.

To the disappointment of Star Trek and UFO fans, Ward and Brownlee, NASA grant recipients and authors of the book Rare Earth: Why Complex Life is Uncommon, contend that Earth is an atypical planet in that it provides the conditions necessary for the development of complex species. If our ideal conditions change dramatically, they assert, mass extinctions may follow.

Open to the public, the 2002 UW Science Forum highlights renowned UW scientists and is designed to be understood easily by anyone with a high school science background. Each lecture will be held on a Tuesday from 7-8:15 p.m. in room 130 of Kane Hall. Advance registration is required to attend any of the lectures.

To register or get more information, log on to www.scienceforum.washington.edu or call (206) 543-3839. This series is presented by the University of Washington Alumni Association, the UW College of Arts & Sciences, College of Engineering and School of Medicine, and is part of WRF Capital's Celebration Series.

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