Radio Show
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Asteroid Scientist Bill Bottke |
The Asteroid That Killed the Dinosaurs
In southern Mexico there's a large crater that coincides with the extinction of many species on earth, including most of the dinosaurs. Through painstaking research over many years, we know that the time period when this event took place is around 65 million years ago. Now, scientists at the SouthWest Research Institute in Boulder have determined that the meteor that caused that crater 65 million years ago probably came from an asteroid belt crunch that happened 160 million years ago. Their findings were reported last week in the science journal, Nature. To find out how anyone can possibly figure out how an event 160 million years ago led to an event 65 million years ago, up next, Shelley talks with the lead scientist on this report, astronomer Bill Bottke of the Southwest Research Institute. Here’s Bill Bottke.
Groups Featured in this report include:Southwest Research Institute,
http://www.swri.edu/Bill Bottke's Asteroid Research Home Page,
http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~bottke/Full Text:Mark your calendars tonight for the Boulder’s Monthly Café Scientifique. It takes place this evening at the Red Fish Grill and Brewery in Boulder, with snacks and socializing starting at 5:30 and the talk beginning at 6:00 Tonight, Dr. Russ Monson, CU professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology will discuss Climate Change and Forests in the Colorado Front Range That’s Boulder’s Monthly Café Scientique, tonight starting at 5:30 at the Red Fish Grill and Brewery.
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In southern Mexico there's a large crater that coincides with the extinction of many species on earth, including most of the dinosaurs. Through painstaking research over many years, we know that the time period when this event took place is around 65 million years ago. Now, scientists at the SouthWest Research Institute in Boulder have determined that the meteor that caused that crater 65 million years ago probably came from an asteroid belt crunch that happened 160 million years ago. Their findings were reported last week in the science journal, Nature. To find out how anyone can possibly figure out how an event 160 million years ago led to an event 65 million years ago, up next, Shelley Schlender talks with the lead scientist on this report, astronomer Bill Bottke of the Southwest Research Institute. Here’s Bill Bottke.
OUTRO: Thanks to Shelley for that report. Bill Bottke is an astronomer at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder. His research about how an asteroid breakup, 160 million years ago, led to the huge meteor that probably wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, was published last week in the Journal, Nature.
That’s all for this edition of How on Earth. Sources for this week’s show include the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Washington Post. Tim Morton wrote our theme music. Tom Wasinger produced it. Additional Music by Beth Custer. For How on Earth, the KGNU Science Show, I'm Joel Parker.
