What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs? Author Peter Brannen at Gilboa Museum

Peter Brannen is an award-winning science journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Scientific American, and The Guardian among other publications. He will be speaking at the Gilboa Museum, 1 pm, Saturday, July 25.

GILBOA—The Gilboa Museum is thrilled to host award-winning science journalist Peter Brannen for an extraordinary journey through Earth’s deep past and its uncertain future on Saturday, July 25, 1 pm. Don't miss this opportunity to hear one of today's preeminent writers of Earth science talk about the past and future of our living planet. Free admission. Refreshments served.

Brannen, acclaimed author of The Ends of the World and the newly released The Story of CO2 is the Story of Everything, brings a unique talent for clarifying complex geological history—a gift for his audiences. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Guardian, and The Best American Science and Nature Writing series.

In his talk, Brannen will discuss the planet's five major mass extinctions—including the ancient loss of the trilobites and the sudden fall of the dinosaurs. Drawing on visits to historic "crime scenes" and interviews with top scientists, he will reveal how these past Armageddons weren't caused by asteroid impacts alone, but by severe climate and ocean shifts driven by massive injections of volcanic carbon dioxide. 

By exploring these ancient catastrophes, Brannen will take his audience on a gripping road trip, visiting crucial geological "crime scenes." Proud fact: many years ago, Brennen visited the Gilboa Museum and interviewed our own Kristen Wyckoff  and included this interview in his book.

While many associate these ancient doomsdays with asteroid impacts, Brannen will talk about new discoveries that point to a far more recurring killer: extreme climate and ocean shifts fueled by colossal volcanic eruptions. From the global coral reefs of the Devonian to the Pangaean crocodilians of the Triassic, he vividly reconstructs lost worlds to demonstrate how past catastrophes shaped our modern planet. 

Brannen’s talk will be far more than a fun history lesson—it is an urgent wake-up call for our own time. By examining the volcanic carbon spikes that previously triggered mass die-offs, he highlights how ancient rocks and fossils can teach us how to deal with our present climate crisis. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear celebrated scientist/author Peter Brannen talk about the past—and future—of our earth.

Programs and Exhibits at the Gilboa Museum are sponsored by:  NY Council for the Arts (NYSCA), Town of Gilboa, Robinson Broadhurst Foundation, R.A. Tait Builders, Gardens by Trista, Grapeville Insurance Agency, NBT Bank of Grand Gorge, NY Power Authority, Purple Mountain Press, Schoharie Valley Farms, and Sunken City Cider.