Adam Frank

So the fact that you had plate tectonics supercharged evolution in some sense, you know, like we're not exactly sure how it happened, but it's clear that the amount of life, the amount of living activity that was happening really got a boost from the fact that suddenly there was this new vigorous form of plate tectonics.

So the fact that you had plate tectonics supercharged evolution in some sense, you know, like we're not exactly sure how it happened, but it's clear that the amount of life, the amount of living activity that was happening really got a boost from the fact that suddenly there was this new vigorous form of plate tectonics.

Yeah, that's actually really true because what happens is if you look at the history of life, that's a really, you know, it's an excellent point you're bringing up. If you look at the history of life on earth, we get, uh, you know, a biogenesis somewhere around at least 3.8 billion years ago. And that's the first microbes. They kind of take over enough that they really do.

Yeah, that's actually really true because what happens is if you look at the history of life, that's a really, you know, it's an excellent point you're bringing up. If you look at the history of life on earth, we get, uh, you know, a biogenesis somewhere around at least 3.8 billion years ago. And that's the first microbes. They kind of take over enough that they really do.

Yeah, that's actually really true because what happens is if you look at the history of life, that's a really, you know, it's an excellent point you're bringing up. If you look at the history of life on earth, we get, uh, you know, a biogenesis somewhere around at least 3.8 billion years ago. And that's the first microbes. They kind of take over enough that they really do.

You get a biosphere, you get a biosphere that is actively changing the planet. But then you go through this period they call the boring billion where like it's a billion years and it's just microbes. Nothing's happening. It's just microbes. I mean, microbes are doing amazing things. They're inventing fermentation. Thank you very much. We appreciate that.

You get a biosphere, you get a biosphere that is actively changing the planet. But then you go through this period they call the boring billion where like it's a billion years and it's just microbes. Nothing's happening. It's just microbes. I mean, microbes are doing amazing things. They're inventing fermentation. Thank you very much. We appreciate that.

You get a biosphere, you get a biosphere that is actively changing the planet. But then you go through this period they call the boring billion where like it's a billion years and it's just microbes. Nothing's happening. It's just microbes. I mean, microbes are doing amazing things. They're inventing fermentation. Thank you very much. We appreciate that.

But it's not until sort of you get probably these continents slamming into each other. You really get the beginning of continents forming and driving changes. that evolution has to respond to, that on a planetary scale, this turmoil, this chaos is creating new niches as well as closing other ones. And biology, evolution has to respond to that.

But it's not until sort of you get probably these continents slamming into each other. You really get the beginning of continents forming and driving changes. that evolution has to respond to, that on a planetary scale, this turmoil, this chaos is creating new niches as well as closing other ones. And biology, evolution has to respond to that.

But it's not until sort of you get probably these continents slamming into each other. You really get the beginning of continents forming and driving changes. that evolution has to respond to, that on a planetary scale, this turmoil, this chaos is creating new niches as well as closing other ones. And biology, evolution has to respond to that.

And somewhere around there is when you get the Cambrian explosion, is when suddenly every body plan, evolution goes on an orgy, essentially. So yeah, it does look like that chaos or that turmoil was actually very helpful to evolution.

And somewhere around there is when you get the Cambrian explosion, is when suddenly every body plan, evolution goes on an orgy, essentially. So yeah, it does look like that chaos or that turmoil was actually very helpful to evolution.

And somewhere around there is when you get the Cambrian explosion, is when suddenly every body plan, evolution goes on an orgy, essentially. So yeah, it does look like that chaos or that turmoil was actually very helpful to evolution.

Well, I think what's... I'm not sure if that's true. I don't know if it needs to be like an almost extinction event, right? Because it's certainly true that we have gone through... almost extinction events where we've had five mass extinctions. But you don't necessarily see that there was this giant evolutionary leap happening after those.

Well, I think what's... I'm not sure if that's true. I don't know if it needs to be like an almost extinction event, right? Because it's certainly true that we have gone through... almost extinction events where we've had five mass extinctions. But you don't necessarily see that there was this giant evolutionary leap happening after those.

Well, I think what's... I'm not sure if that's true. I don't know if it needs to be like an almost extinction event, right? Because it's certainly true that we have gone through... almost extinction events where we've had five mass extinctions. But you don't necessarily see that there was this giant evolutionary leap happening after those.

With the comet impact, the KT boundary, certainly lots of niches opened up And that's why we're here, right? Because, you know, our ancestors were just little basically rodents, rats living under the footsteps of the dinosaurs. And it was that common impact that opened the route for us. But it wasn't, I mean, that still took another, you know, 65 million years.

With the comet impact, the KT boundary, certainly lots of niches opened up And that's why we're here, right? Because, you know, our ancestors were just little basically rodents, rats living under the footsteps of the dinosaurs. And it was that common impact that opened the route for us. But it wasn't, I mean, that still took another, you know, 65 million years.

With the comet impact, the KT boundary, certainly lots of niches opened up And that's why we're here, right? Because, you know, our ancestors were just little basically rodents, rats living under the footsteps of the dinosaurs. And it was that common impact that opened the route for us. But it wasn't, I mean, that still took another, you know, 65 million years.