Talks
A Remarkably Beautiful Planet: Earth’s Most Colourful Minerals

A gallery filled with minerals and gems in the centre there is a very large quartz variety amethyst geode.

Date

Wednesday, Apr 23, 2025 19:00

Registration Opens

Friday, Feb 28, 2025 10:00

Location

Level B1,
Eaton Theatre

Admission

Talks - Public: Free Talks - Teacher: Free

Audience

Adults

About

The dazzling, vibrant colours of our remarkably beautiful planet take centre stage in an engaging talk with special guest Robert Hazen. Inspired by the evolution of minerals over Earth’s 4.5-billion-year history, Hazen delves into the relationship between the history of our universe and the stunning hues of our planet in this heavily illustrated talk. From brilliant blue aquamarine to the deep oranges of wulfenite, this program introduces audiences to some of the unique physical, chemical, and biological processes that have created Earth’s brilliant colours. 

Providing a framework for the talk is host Kim Tait, Senior Curator and Teck Endowed Chair of Mineralogy, who introduces the evening’s topic within the context of the unique mineral collections at ROM, and the Museum’s current special exhibition Nature in Brilliant Colour.

Speakers

Robert Miller Hazen
Robert Miller Hazen

Robert Miller Hazen is an American mineralogist and astrobiologist. He is a research scientist at the Carnegie Institution of Washington's Geophysical Laboratory and Clarence Robinson Professor of Earth Science at George Mason University (Virginia, USA). Hazen is the Executive Director of the Deep Carbon Observatory.

An experienced public speaker, Hazen has delivered hundreds of public lectures over the past 15 years, has recorded almost 200 lectures as part of the "Great Courses" series for the Teaching Company, and has been featured on numerous podcasts, radio shows, and television, including BBC, Discover, the History Channel, and a half-dozen episodes of the NOVA TV series.  

Headshot of Kim Tait
Kim Tait
Kimberly Tait is a Curator of Mineralogy and oversees mineralogical, gemmological and meteoritic research at the ROM. She is also a cross-appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Geology at
Jameel Jaffer and Charles Stenkievich ©Lisa Milosavijevic

Talks

Curious about art, culture, and nature? Learn why these topics matter within and beyond Museum walls. Talks at ROM offer engaging moments of thought-provoking learning with experts and objects from, and inspired by, collections in the Museum. Upcoming talks are identified as either at ROM or Online. All are Free with RSVP.

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