Building more sustainable socieiteis is an enormous challenge that must account for a dynamic, rapidly changing world. Some of the best lessons on how dynamic Earth systems can rapidly change come from our planet's deep history. From ancient atmospheres to mass extinctions, from the rice of insects to glaciers, we will consider some of the great upheavals that life on earth has endured--and how we can learn from them. 

Dr. Michael Habib is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at UCLA and a Research Associate in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. As a paleontologist, he explores the relationships between animal structure and motion, using a combination of comparative anatomy, art, and engineering.