16.11.2016
Excellence Cluster on air: "Can Supernovae cause extinctions?"
Scientists from the Excellence Cluster at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) recently reported the first ever discovery of supernova ash – atoms forged in the catastrophic explosion of dead stars – found buried in fossils created by bacteria right here on Earth. And most surprising of all these findings hint at a possible role for supernovae in bringing about mass extinctions, events which have changed the course of life on Earth and may do so again in our future. In an in-depth interview for "The star spot podcast", recorded at Ryerson University, Canada, Prof. Shawn Bishop from TUM explains the significance of the new findings and the impact the event might have had on Earth:
The star spot podcast, Episode 111: "Can Supernovae cause extinctions?"
(The interview with Shawn Bishop starts at 12:40 min.)
In "The Academic Minute Essay", a daily radio programme and podcast hosted and supported by the Association of American Colleges & Universities, Shawn Bishop talks about supernova ashes:
The Academic Minute Essay: Supernova ashes and an extinction event
Contact
Prof. Dr. Shawn Bishop
Exzellence Cluster Universe
Technical University of Munich
James-Franck-Str. 1
D-85748 Garching
Tel.: +49 89 289 12437
E-Mail: shawn.bishop@tum.de