Grab a bite from the Daily Planet Café and join host Chris Smith for our monthly Science Café. Gather with other curious minds at this after-hours event for an informal presentation and conversation about current science topics with guest experts. The Daily Planet Café is open 5–8pm with a full menu during the Science Café.
Join in-person or watch the livestream.
Tonight’s Topic
Like an impressionist painting, Earth’s history comes into focus when individual brushstrokes—sedimentology, geochronology, chemistry, and taphonomy—are linked together. By combining these fragments, Dr. Ryan Tucker reconstructs lost worlds, revealing how ancient landscapes, climates, and ecosystems evolved through deep time.
Tonight’s Expert
Dr. Ryan Tucker is a geologist from Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and a research associate with the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. Dr. Tucker studies how ancient landscapes and ecosystems responded to extreme climate change during the age of dinosaurs. His work focuses on the Mid-Cretaceous, a time when Earth experienced one of its hottest greenhouse climates. By combining traditional fieldwork with cutting-edge techniques, including dating fossil dinosaur eggshells, he builds precise timelines of how climate shaped environments and biodiversity. Ryan has co-led field expeditions across Mongolia, Africa, and North America, uncovering clues about ancient life and climate. He is also passionate about teaching and sharing science, connecting past climate lessons to today’s global challenges.