Vivien Cumming
Dr Vivien Cumming looks back over the billions of years of Earth’s history to understand the essence of our being. Why humans are here and why they do the things they do. In this talk Viv explores the origin of sexual reproduction and the evolutionary steps that led to sex as we know it. She takes us back to nature and the strange organisms where everything started, reminding us how our environment supports and nurtures evolution and ultimately us. She shows us how nature can be our greatest teacher.
Viv is foremost an Earth scientist. Her postdoctoral research at Harvard and McGill Universities delved into questions deep in Earth’s history when climates were extreme and life was taking hold. Having spent the majority of her life exploring both remote and familiar corners of the planet, she has an extensive knowledge of the delicate intricacies of the natural world, and how they are intertwined with human lives. Viv now combines science, photography and writing to tell exciting stories about the planet; inspiring sustainability, conservation and an understanding of Earth processes.