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From the High Desert

A Cultural History of Art Bell

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Peter Ward

Peter Ward

PaleontologyExtinctionsAstrobiologyScience

Dr. Peter D. Ward is a paleontologist and astrobiologist at the University of Washington recognized for his research on mass extinctions and his co-development of the "Rare Earth" hypothesis, which argues that complex life in the universe may be extraordinarily uncommon. As a guest on late-night radio, his book Rare Earth, co-authored with Donald Brownlee, challenged optimistic assumptions about extraterrestrial life and sparked intense scientific and public debate about humanity's place in the cosmos.

Consciousness & the AfterlifeQuantum Physics & Parallel Universes

Books1

Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe

Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe

2000

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Episodes7

1
Episode thumbnail for May 2, 2001: Climate Change - Dr. Peter D. Ward

May 2, 2001: Climate Change - Dr. Peter D. Ward

May 2, 2001
2h 54m
Art Bell welcomes Professor Peter D. Ward, a geological sciences professor at the University of Washington, to discuss his book Rivers in Time and the search for clues to Earth's mass extinctions. Ward presents evidence from ice core records showing that catastrophic climate shifts can occur in as little as ten year...
2
Episode thumbnail for April 3, 2004: Rare Earth Hypothesis - Peter Ward

April 3, 2004: Rare Earth Hypothesis - Peter Ward

Apr 3, 2004
2h 51m
Art Bell is joined by University of Washington professor Peter Ward, author of Rare Earth, who argues that while microbial life may be common throughout the universe, complex multicellular life is extraordinarily uncommon. Ward explains that building anything beyond bacteria requires a planet to maintain stable cond...
3
Episode thumbnail for March 20, 2005: Extinctions and Climate Change - Peter Ward

March 20, 2005: Extinctions and Climate Change - Peter Ward

Mar 20, 2005
2h 54m
Professor Peter Ward of the University of Washington joins Art Bell to discuss mass extinctions, climate change, and methane threats after coverage of the Terri Schiavo case. Art expresses his view that without a signed document, the courts should err on the side of life. He also reports on a 7.0 earthquake off Japa...
4
5
Episode thumbnail for May 26, 2007: Greenhouse Extinctions - Peter Ward

May 26, 2007: Greenhouse Extinctions - Peter Ward

May 26, 2007
2h 36m
Art Bell welcomes back Peter Ward, professor of biology and earth sciences at the University of Washington and NASA Astrobiology Institute investigator, to discuss his book Under a Green Sky and the science of mass extinctions. Ward explains that while the dinosaur extinction 65 million years ago was caused by an as...
6
Episode thumbnail for May 17, 2009: Extinctions and Climate Change - Peter Ward

May 17, 2009: Extinctions and Climate Change - Peter Ward

May 17, 2009
2h 35m
Art Bell welcomes paleontologist Peter Ward to discuss mass extinctions, climate change, and the search for extraterrestrial life. Broadcasting from the Philippines, Art opens with a personal immigration nightmare involving lost paperwork by USCIS that has left his wife unable to return to the United States.Professo...
7
Episode thumbnail for July 23, 2010: Gulf Oil Spill and Climate Change - Peter Ward

July 23, 2010: Gulf Oil Spill and Climate Change - Peter Ward

Jul 23, 2010
2h 36m
Art Bell welcomes Professor Peter Ward, a biologist and earth scientist at the University of Washington, to discuss the Gulf oil spill and the broader threat of climate change. Ward expresses deep concern about heavy crude sitting unseen on the Gulf floor, comparing it to a massive blob no one is properly investigat...