Sixty-six million years ago, an object the size of New York City descended from space to crash into Earth, creating a devastating cataclysm that killed off the dinosaurs, along with two-thirds of the species on the planet. What triggered this impact? On Thursday, December 17, Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science invites science enthusiasts and curiosity seekers to find out at Science Up Close: Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs, featuring leading expert physicist Professor Lisa Randall, PhD of Harvard University. Taking place at Books & Books Coral Gables, Randall will give a brief presentation followed by a Q&A and casual discussions with fellow scientists, researchers and professional in particle physics and cosmology.

A member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Randall studies theoretical particle physics and cosmology at Harvard University. Her research connects theoretical insights to puzzles in our current understanding of the properties and interactions of matter. In her newest book, Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs: The Astounding Interconnectedness of the Universe, Randall tells the story of the history of our Earth, from the history of the cosmos to that of the galaxy, the Solar System, and even of life – and, of course, the story of the dinosaur extinction. Lisa Randall’s studies have made her among the most cited and influential theoretical physicists and she has received numerous awards and honors for her scientific endeavors. Randall was included in Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” of 2007 and was among Esquire magazine’s “75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century.”