In his KOSMOS-Lesung, Prof.Dr. Mark Lawrence discusses a new approach on the definition of Anthropocene.
The Anthropos Expansion and the Anthropocene
05.06.2025, 18.00-19.30
HU Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Senatssaal
The Anthropocene has recently been rejected as a formal geological time unit, reigniting debate about its definition and significance. Should it now be repurposed as an informal term, for instance as a geological event or episode, or should it be resubmitted with additional evidence? Perhaps, in addition to a resubmission, another term can fill the gap to describe the long-term geological impact of humans leading up to the Anthropocene: The Anthropos Expansion.
Prof. Dr. Mark Lawrence is scientific director at the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) at the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences. He addresses the Anthropocene in an integrative manner, bringing together a wide range of academic expertise in his team and involving societal actors in a transdisciplinary research approach.
Moderation: Prof. Dr. Tobias Krüger, IRI THESys Director, Professor of Hydrology and Society, Geography Institute of Humboldt-Universität.
About the lecture series
The KOSMOS-Lesungen are in the tradition of one of the most famous lecture series in the German history of science: Alexander von Humboldt’s Kosmos lectures. Around 200 years ago, the natural scientist spanned the entire world and all disciplines of science. Today’s KOSMOS lectures are dedicated to the challenging transformation processes in the age of the Anthropocene.
Photo credits: NASA Earth Observatory
