Dr. Natalie Starkey: "Catching Stardust: Comets, Asteroids, and the Birth [...]" | Talks at Google

Dr. Natalie Starkey, geologist and cosmochemist, and former JPL engineer and current Googler Scott Maxwell engage in delightful repartee about her new book, Catching Stardust: Comets, Asteroids, and the Birth of the Solar System. By inspecting samples brought back by the NASA Stardust and JAXA Hayabusa space missions, she has unlocked some of the secrets of the origin of our solar system, while also giving us ideas for potential future uses for these space objects.
From the destruction of the dinosaurs to Hollywood’s biggest hit movies, comets and asteroids have been a big part of Earth’s history and will continue to be part of our future. Learn how scientists are using the information unlocked from the samples gleaned from passing comets and bits of asteroids to guard against one of these objects hitting our planet some day -- which, depending on the size of the object, could devastate us as it did the dinosaurs.
This talk will take you to the edges of the Solar System -- and to the edge of your seats -- as you learn about all of the fantastic scientific insights we’ve gained from examining these unassuming rock and ice fragments.
Get the book here:
Moderated by Scott Maxwell.