Dr. Scott Sampson
Dinosaur paleontologist, Evolutionary biologist, and Educator

Can Topophilia Save the World?
topophilia (n.) – love of place
If we don't love the places where we live, will we work to protect them?

With the rise of global homogenization and a steep decline in time spent outdoors over the past few decades, are we as humans losing our love of place? If so, how does this loss affect our chances of — and even desire to — conserve and protect the world's natural resources?

In his engaging lecture "The Extinction of Experience: Youth, Nature, and Sustainability in the Digital Age" on Sept. 27th, Dr. Scott D. Sampson — Research Curator at the Natural History Museum of Utah and Adjunct Professor of Geology and Geophysics at the U — addressed how we might broker a new human-nature relationship in this globally-interconnected digital age.

Watch the video of Dr. Sampson's presentation.

Presented by Continuing Education at the University of Utah in partnership with the Natural History Museum of Utah, the 61st Annual Frederick W. Reynolds Lecture featuring Dr. Sampson was held on Sept. 27, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. in the Rice Eccles Stadium Varsity Room. The lecture is free and open to the public (children age 8 and older are welcome). To RSVP, call 801-585-0911.

Tapping into recent research that spans psychology, anthropology, and education, Dr. Sampson will present his provocative new idea, the "Topophilia Hypothesis," which proposes we all have an innate bias to form emotional bonds with local nature. He will also propose a novel, integrative approach for connecting children and youth with the natural world, and discuss the roles of parents, educators, universities, and museums in this pressing challenge

A renowned paleontologist, biologist, and educator, Dr. Sampson served as the primary scientific consultant and host of the Discovery Channel's Dinosaur Planet, and is widely known as "Dr. Scott" on the PBS series Dinosaur Train. He recently published Dinosaur Odyssey: Fossil Threads in the Web of Life, the first comprehensive review of dinosaur paleontology for a general audience in more than two decades.

Why do you love Utah? Show your love and win!

You may also watch last year's lecture from Dr. Kathryn Bond Stockton:
"The Strangeness of Sexuality: What is Queer Theory? Are Children Queer?"