Professor Mike Rampino is a geologist at New York University. He has a Pd.D. degree from Coumbia University. His cutting-edge research covers a number of subjects including mass extinctions of life, asteroid impacts, volcanic eruptions, climate change and cycles in geologic history.. He teaches a signature course at NYU on the

Cosmic Evolution of the Universe. He has written a textbook for that course entitled "Origins of Life in the Universe" and recently, Cataclysms: A New Geology for the 21st Century" that presents his revolutionary ideas on the importance of catastrophism and periodic geological phenomena in geologic history. His interest in the history of the Earth and of life was sparked when he was 7 years old, when his parents took him to the Hall of Dinosaurs at the American Museum of Natural History.

For the past 25 years, KELLY MILNER HALLS has crafted high-interest nonfiction books and articles for young readers. Known for quirky but well-researched topics, Halls delights in drawing even reluctant readers into the realm of discovery through explorations of dinosaurs, Sasquatch, UFOs and other unusual themes. She lives in Spokane, Washington, and speaks at schools and conferences all over the world