it is my pleasure to welcome you to an evening with david grinspoon. here at the national museum of natural history through research, exhibitions, programs and online resources we help promote the natural world and our place in it. we aim to inspire dialogue around the important scientific

david grinspoon. david's an honest-to-goodness astrobiologist, an award-winning science communicator and a prize-winning author. his latest book, "earth this human hands," explores the transformative role humans have played in this period and provides solutions for better due wardship of the earth. -- stewardship of the earth. david will start off with a short talk, after which he'll be joined on stage by kirk johnson for a short conversation, and then we'll open the floor to questions from you, the audience. and then we'll conclude with an opportunity to purchase david's book and have him sign it in the gallery outside the auditorium. so i think you're in for a treat. and now i'd like to welcome david the stage. please join me. [applause] >> thank you so much. thanks a lot for coming out tonight. it's a thrill to be here at the magnificent smithsonian, and i'm looking forward to talking with kirk johnson, someone i've known for a couple of decades and whose work i've long admired. so what i want to do

now i would like to introduce our featured guest, doctor david grinspoon. david is an honest-to-goodness esther biologist. a prize-winning author. his latest book "earth in human hands" explores a transformative role that humans have played in this. now known as the "anthropocene" and provides solutions for better stewardship of the earth. david will start out with a short talk. after which he will be joined on stage by kirk johnson for a conversation. then we will open the fourth two questions from you, the audience. then we will conclude with an opportunity to purchase david's book and have him sign it in the gallery outside the auditorium. i think you're in for a treat. and now, i would like to welcome david to the stage. please join me. [applause] >> thank you so much. first of all for coming out tonight. it is great to be here at the magnificent smithsonian and i am looking forward to talking with kirk johnson. someone i have known for a couple of decades and his work, have long admired. what i want to do now for the next half hour is that you about wha