Riley Black has been heralded as “one of our premier gifted young science writers” and is the award-winning author of Skeleton Keys, My Beloved Brontosaurus, Written in Stone, When Dinosaurs Ruled, When the Earth Was Green, and The USA Today bestseller The Last Days of the Dinosaurs. A science correspondent for Smithsonian and regular contributor to publications like National Geographic and Slate, Riley is a widely-recognized expert on paleontology. She is the winner of the 2023 AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books as well as the 2024 Friend of Darwin Award from the National Center for Science Education. Black is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Segment
Read More
17:18
How Plants Powered Prehistoric Giants Millions Of Years Ago
A new book explores how prehistoric plants and dinosaurs co-evolved, and puts the spotlight on often overlooked flora.
Book Excerpt
Read More
How Lignin Helped Trees Grow Up
A new book details how lignin once protected algae from UV radiation, then later in evolutionary time became a structural support for trees.
Segment
Read More
9:12
The Most Exciting Dino Discoveries Of 2024
To wrap up 2024, science writer Riley Black shares her favorite paleontology discoveries of the year.
Segment
Read More
17:04
What Was It Like To Witness The End Of The Dinosaurs?
In a conversation from 2022, Riley Black discusses what happened after a massive asteroid hit Earth.
Segment
Read More
29:51
The Best Science Beach Reads For Summer 2024
Discover new science reads for this summer with two authors and science writers familiar with the best books on the shelf.
Segment
Read More
16:59
30 Years Later, ’Jurassic Park’ Still Inspires
Paleontologists talk about the lasting legacy of ‘Jurassic Park’ and explain how their work was inspired by the classic film.
Segment
Read More
17:00
The Best Science Books To Read This Summer, 2022 Edition
From the last days of the dinosaurs, to an anatomical voyage of the vagina, our experts have your summer science reads covered.
Segment
Read More
17:16
What Was It Like To Witness The End Of The Dinosaurs?
A new book chronicles what happened in the minutes, days, weeks, and years after the infamous asteroid hit the Earth.
Book Excerpt
Read More
The Single Worst Day In The Entire History Of Life On Earth
The day the infamous asteroid struck Earth might have been worst than you could imagine. Riley Black writes about that fateful day.
Segment
Read More
16:58
The Leg Bone’s Connected To The Ankle Bone—But Why?
The story of how our skeletons evolved to look they way they do.