Evening’s Moderator: Jameson French
When the Ice Is Gone:
In 2018, frozen soil from the bottom of the world’s first deep ice core, lost for decades, reappeared in Denmark. When geologist Paul Bierman and his team analyzed this material, it led them to a startling discovery: Greenland’s ice sheet melted naturally 400,000 years ago. That meant the ice was unstable even without human interference. In When the Ice Is Gone, Bierman traces the story of this pivotal discovery, delving into the nuances of polar science and arctic history. He describes how engineers drilled the ice core at Camp Century, a Cold War military base built inside the ice sheet. And he explores the cataclysmic events the discovery portends if we don’t address climate change, urging us to heed the warning from the ice.
Paul Bierman, environmental science professor at the University of Vermont, develops methods to date ice and rocks. He has published in Science and Nature, with the findings covered by CNN, USA Today, and the Weather Channel. He lives in Burlington, Vermont.
Meet the Neighbors:
What does the science of animal intelligence mean for how we understand and live with the wild creatures around us? Honeybees deliberate democratically. Rats reflect on the past. Snakes have friends. Meet the Neighbors asks: What would it mean if we took animal minds seriously? Weaving in the latest research, Brandon Keim takes us into courtrooms and wildlife hospitals, under backyard decks and into deserts, to meet the philosophers, rogue pest controllers, ecologists, wildlife doctors, and others who are reimagining our relationships to animals and to nature. A beguiling invitation to discover an expanded sense of community and kinship beyond our own species, Meet the Neighbors opens our eyes to the world of vibrant intelligence just outside our doors.
Brandon Keim is an independent journalist specializing in animals, nature, and science. His work appears regularly in the New York Times, the Atlantic, Nautilus, National Geographic, and elsewhere. He lives in Bangor, Maine.
