PETER WARD

Peter Ward (paleontologist)

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Peter Douglas Ward
BornSeattle, United States of America
ResidenceU.S.
CitizenshipAmerican
NationalityAmerican
Fieldspaleontology
InstitutionsUniversity of Washington
Known forwork on the K-T Extinction

Peter Douglas Ward is a paleontologist and professor of Biology and of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington, Seattle, and has written popular science works for a general audience. He is also an adviser to the Microbes Mind Forum.
 

Life and work

Peter Douglas Ward was born in 1949. His parents, Joseph and Ruth Ward, moved to Seattle, Wa following World War II. Ward grew up in the Seward Park neighborhood of Seattle, attending Franklin High School, and spent time during summers at a family summer cabin on Orcas Island.[1]
Ward's academic career has included teaching posts and professional connections with Ohio State University, the NASA Astrobiology Institute, the University of California, McMaster University (where he received his PhD in 1976), and the California Institute of Technology. He was elected as a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences in 1984.
Peter Ward specializes in the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event, the Permian–Triassic extinction event,[1] and mass extinctions generally. He has published books on biodiversity and the fossil record. His 1992 book On Methuselah's Trail received a "Golden Trilobite Award" from the Paleontological Society as the best popular science book of the year. Ward also serves as an adjunct professor of zoology and astronomy.
His book The End Of Evolution published in 1994. In it, he discussed in three parts, each about extinction event on earth.
Ward is co-author, along with astronomer Donald Brownlee, of the best-selling Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe, published in 2000. In that work, the authors suggest that the universe is fundamentally hostile to advanced life, and that, while simple life might be abundant, the likelihood of widespread lifeforms as advanced as those on Earth is marginal. In 2001, Ward's book Future Evolution was published, featuring illustrations by artist Alexis Rockman.[2][3]
According to Ward's April 2007 book, Under a Green Sky, all but one of the major extinction events in history have been brought on by climate change — the same global warming that occurs today. The author argues that events in the past can give valuable information about the future of our planet. Reviewer Doug Brown goes further, stating "this is how the world ends".[4] Scientists at the Universities of York and Leeds also warn that the fossil record supports evidence of impending mass extinction.[5]

Medea Hypothesis

Main article: Medea Hypothesis
The Medea Hypothesis is a term coined by Ward for the anti-Gaian hypothesis that multicellular life, understood as a superorganism, is suicidal.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]

Appearances

Peter Ward was featured in the PBS's Evolution Series to discuss the evidence for evolution in the geologic record and has appeared on NOVA scienceNOW. He was also one of the scientists on Animal Planet's Animal Armageddon. In fact, out of all of the scientists, he was the only one to appear in every episode of that show.

See also

Selected works

References

  1. ^ a b Dietrich, William (2005-12-09). "Prophet, Populist, Poet of Science". Pacific Northwest Magazine. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20051209&slug=pacificpeter11. Retrieved 26 October 2010. 
  2. ^ Motluk, Alison (2002-01-29). ""Future Evolution" by Peter Ward". Salon. http://dir.salon.com/story/books/review/2002/01/29/ward/index.html. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 
  3. ^ "Anthropology Update/ Future Evolution". Talk of the Nation. National Public Radio. 2002-03-22. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1140323. Retrieved 2010-10-19. 
  4. ^ Doug Brown. "Review-a-Day: This Is How the World Ends". http://www.powells.com/review/2007_06_09. 
  5. ^ Adapted from materials provided by University of York (2007-10-24). "Fossil Record Supports Evidence Of Impending Mass Extinction". Science Daily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071024083644.htm. 
  6. ^ The Medea Hypothesis: Is Life on Earth Ultimately Self-Destructive?
  7. ^ Dark green: A scientist argues that the natural world isn't benevolent and sustaining: it's bent on self-destruction
  8. ^ Amazon book listing
  9. ^ "Peter Ward speaker profile". TED. http://www.ted.com/index.php/speakers/peter_ward.html. Retrieved 2009-02-27. 
  10. ^ D'Arconte (February 10, 2009). "Is Mother Nature nuts?". The Sun Chronicle. http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2009/02/21/columns/4367393.txt. Retrieved 2009-02-27. 
  11. ^ Sample, Ian (January 3, 2009). "Treats in store for 2009". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jan/03/books-preview-2009. Retrieved 2009-02-27. 
  12. ^ "Daily Zeitgeist". Seed Magazine. January 15, 2009. http://seedmagazine.com/news/2009/01/seeds_daily_zeitgeist_1152009.php. Retrieved 2009-02-27. 
  13. ^ "Turn over a new leaf". Times Higher Education Magazine. January 1, 2009. http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=404868&sectioncode=26. Retrieved 2009-02-27. 
  • The Science of Doom: Peter Ward takes on the great unknowns, Pacific Northwest magazine (Seattle Times), December 11, 2005, p. 12ff

External links



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