For years, scientists have said that a giant asteroid was the cause of a mass extinction 66 million years ago, but a theoretical physicist has reached a different conclusion.

Harvard physics professor, Lisa Randall, hypothesizes that dinosaurs – along with 75 percent of other species, were destroyed after a comet was dislodged from its orbit as the solar system passed through a disk of dark matter.

In her most recent book, “Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs: The Astounding Interconnectedness of the Universe,” Randall delves into the history and development of Earth to outline the effects and characteristics of dark matter.

Randall explains the evolution of the universe, discusses meteors, asteroids and other objects that have struck Earth, and lastly, combines the first two portions to explain how components intersect and how they are connected to our existence on Earth.

Lisa Randall will be speaking at New Roads School Moss Theatre today at 8:00 p.m. with Walter Kim. Click here for more information.

Guest:

Lisa Randall Ph.D, Frank B. Baird, Jr., Professor of Science, Harvard University and author of “Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs: The Astounding Interconnectedness of the Universe” (HarperCollins)