The emergence of planetary intelligence:
an astrobiological perspective on the Anthropocene

As a planetary astrobiologist, David Grinspoon studies the relationships between biological and planetary evolution. He sees the geological epoch of the Anthropocene as the advent of a radically new type of planetary change.

In this seminar, he will discuss the concept of planetary intelligence and propose that the current moment in Earth history may not be merely an epoch boundary, a common occurrence in Earth history, but a major transition in the nature of the planet, the advent of Earth’s 5th Eon, which he suggests could be called the “Sapiezoic”. He will address implications for the project of building a sustainable planetary civilization as well as the search for extraterrestrial .

About David Grinspoon

David Grinspoon, Senior Scientist at Planetary Science Institute, is an astrobiologist who studies the possible conditions for life on other planets and the human influence on Earth. In 2013, he served as inaugural Baruch S. Blumberg/NASA Chair in Astrobiology at the John W. Kluge Center of the United States Library of Congress, researching and writing the book Earth in Human Hands. Grinspoon was awarded the 2006 Carl Sagan Medal for Public Communication of Planetary Science by the American Astronomical Society.

Read more about David Grinspoon's research:
Sustainability: Earth, the long view
Welcome to Terra Sapiens