What do you do?
I do research in paleontology, I teach a lot, and I'm writing a book about people and geology through human history.

Why should the general public be interested in what you do?
Paleontology is interesting to lots of people because creatures like dinosaurs are so fascinating - and there's a lot of new research going on. In terms of people and geology, people should be interested because it is geological research that is currently giving them cheap energy and cheap gas, as well as global warming and air pollution. It's all related to the discovery of oil and gas. And our future is going to depend on continued geological resources, especially of energy and metals.

Why does it interest you?
I have the best job in the world: I get to learn new things and tell people about them. Everything I teach changes every year, and it's my job and my pleasure to keep up with new research.

What major advances/discoveries have occurred in your research field over the last 10 years?
In the last few years dinosaurs have gone from warm-blooded to cold-blooded, and that may change back again. We have learned that asteroids from space blast the Earth from time to time, and we're still trying to work out how badly that affects life. We've seen a fall in energy prices to astoundingly low levels because geologists have discovered new oil and gas fields. We've seen that same cheap energy result in cheap production of gold and copper to the point that high-cost mines are closing. We're seeing all kinds of political games round the Caspian Sea as oil companies and world powers compete to get access to the vast oil resources there. We see Californians losing homes that they've built in the wrong places. All these are GEOLOGICAL events, and people need to be aware of them and respond to them sensibly.