Book success for former student

A University of St Andrews alumna has edited a new book which aims to bring serious science to a wider audience.

Anna Grayson’s book – Equinox: The Earth – is based on Channel 4’s flagship science series Equinox and reveals several insights into the planet’s history. As well as describing the findings of the programmes, the authors expand upon them, bringing the stories bang up to date.

The first chapter – When Pigs Ruled the Earth – is written by Anna and focuses on the Lystrosaurus. Over 250 million years ago, a mass extinction wiped out 95% of life on Earth. One of the few species to survive on land was this reptile with mammal-like features. These “pigs” had no predators and therefore multiplied to occupy and dominate the world. From studies of fossils, Lystrosaurus and its close relatives are shown to have features that we would recognise today. Meanwhile, the second chapter, also written by Anna, is entitled Killer Earth. Examining possible causes of mass extinctions, Killer Earth asks whether external factors such as asteroids were really to blame for wiping out dinosaurs or whether an internal force of destruction inside the Earth periodically causes death and destruction. Other chapters, written by Douglas Palmer, Paul Simons, David Jackson and Karl P N Shuker, cover everything from mammoths to earthquake predictions.

Anna Grayson studied Geology at the University of St Andrews and went on to work for the BBC. She worked as a writer and presenter on Radio and TV programmes such as Rock Solid, Postcards from the Past, Science Now, Chain Reaction, How Does Your Garden Grow, Science in the Attic, Earthworks, Live from Mars, The ‘Ology Hour and The Essential Guide to Rocks. She has previously studied the kind of rocks that might have been a contributory factor to the demise of the dinosaurs. Her broadcast work has earned her the RH Worth Prize from the Geology Society of London and a Glaxo Wellcome Science Writer’s Prize for the best contribution to a Science TV programme during 1998. Anna lives near Watford in Hertfordshire.

Equinox: The Earth will be published on 22 September 2000 by Channel 4 Books.

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITORS – To order a copy of the book or arrange an interview with Anna Grayson, please contact Emma D’Almeida on telephone 020 7881 8176 or email e.d’[email protected]. A new series of Equinox starts in the Autumn. For further information please contact the Channel 4 press office on telephone 020 7306 8444.

Issued by Beattie Media on behalf of the University of St Andrews For more information please contact Claire Grainger on 01334 462530, 07730 415 015 or email [email protected] Ref: annagrayson/standrews/chg/14sep2000