Some say that we are in the midst of the 6th great extinction on Earth? Is this true? Join us as we explore the nature of extinction, from biology, and the great past extinctions, to culture, language, technology and the future of both our species and the Earth’s biosphere, and ask whether, and to what extent extinction required for progress, and what we can do to preserve existing biodiversity on our planet.

Extinctions: Tragedy to Opportunity featuring the sequencer of the neanderthal genome Svante Paabo, planetary scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton, best-selling author Diane Ackerman, ASU president Michael Crow, AMNH curator and athropologist Ian Tattersall, Neil Gershenfeld, Director of the Center for Bits and Atoms at MIT, and moderator and Origins Project director Lawrence Krauss.