Night Comes to the Cretaceous: Comets, Craters, Controversy, and the Last Days of the Dinosaurs

From the standpoint of scientific fact, this book gives a generic description of the giant Chicxulub meteorite impact structure, its genesis, and the consequences of that genesis; the extinction of the dinosaurs and thousands of other species in a geologic heartbeat. An excellent book-wide discussion attends the determination of the necessary proofs for what, at the time of its origin, was an extraordinary, heretical theory. Author Powell's review of the background science is thorough and unbiased, and is delivered in a readable, easy-to understand manner. The tempo of the book is seamless and non-distractive. In short. for the reader who simply wants to learn about the reason behind dinosaur extinction, the book is highly recommended, without more.The book is far more significant and insightful in other respects, however. It would serve as a singular text for anyone interested in the history and maturation of ideas, particularly in the scientific realm. Author Powell is simply peerless in demonstrating the difficulty proponents of successful new scientific theories face in having those ideas accepted in the face of long-standing, inflexible orthodoxy. Powell carefully shows the genesis of the Alvarez' impact theory of extinction, as well as cataloguing the tenacious resistance to it. Not only paleontologists, but even some geophysicists, opposed the impact theory of extinction and ridiculed both the theory and its proponents. In the end, however, the sheer weight of demonstative evidence has carried the day for the Alvarez' ideas. Even as this review is written, however, there are those who deny the the dinosaurs went extinct owing to a catastrophic impact. See Discover magazine's June 2002 issue. Whether the asteroid collision was the SOLE cause seems to be the only bone of contention now. Perhaps the most poignant character in this ongoing debate is Charles Officer, a Dartmouth geophysicist. Officer has stood steadfast, in face of increasing evidence to the contrary, as an opponent of the impact/extinction theory. As the book was written, some of his arguments had even reached the point of Creationist-style dogma, brought on by his refusal to yield. Powll presents the tale of Officer's resistance as not being negative, but indeed, positive, in that it forced the impact proponents to a vigorous reexamination and stronger proofs.Any history or science student should read this book. In reading this work, one can gain greater appreciation for the trial and tribulations such scientific pathfinders as Galileo, Newton, Wegener, Bretz, and Shoemaker have faced in advancing our knowledge and understanding of our world, and our place in it. Unhesitatingly, I give this book a five-star rating, and would even more highly recommend it, were I able.

__________________This book is an excellent summary of the K-T impactor theory and is highly recommended. Powell not only gives the history of the theory -- including things omitted from Walter Alvarez' book on the topic -- but examines the Officer-Page objections in a very open way, and discusses Dewey McLean's views. While Officer and Page have retreated and jumped on the bandwagon for global warming, McLean has been trying on his website to come to terms with the impact extinction model.This is a book that every student should read. While there are still those -- even in the sciences -- who could have bumper stickers and t-shirts emblazoned with "My Professor Said It, I Believe It, and That Settles It", there's no intellectual benefit to such an attitude.See also "Rain of Iron and Ice" by John S. Lewis and "T Rex and the Crater of Doom" by Walter Alvarez, the latter being more geared toward children.

This well-written book provides a complete and interesting account of how a brilliant and insightful father-son team scratched their heads, followed their instincts, and opened up a new window of understanding on the processes that have shaped the geological and biological history of the planet. The science itself is well-conveyed. Even the nonscientist will follow the compelling evidence that a large impact occured 65 million years ago in what is now the Yucatan. An impact of this magnitude would lead to such global devastation of the ecosystem that extinction of most forms of terrestrial life would seem an inevitable outcome. The disappearance of the dinosaurs during this same geological blink of an eye, after a reign of over 150 million years, is not plausibly coincidental.While the science in the book is fascinating, the work is most significant for the insight that it provides into the process of the scientific enterprise. In art, music, and literature, value is fundamentally a matter of taste. In science, on the other hand, nature has the final say as to the ultimate value of an idea. A "more correct" idea should eventually win out over a "less correct" idea, regardless of the prejudices of the people involved. "Night Comes to the Cretaceous" is a testament to that process. The book tells the tale of how an originally unlikely idea successfully faced the challenges of experiment and observation, and in the process displaced scientific orthodoxy. It also tells the very human story of how honest, healthy skepticism on the part of a number of established scientists gradually became instead the unreasoned and sometimes vindictive attacks of those who had been left behind by the advance of knowledge.One of the most influential books about the history and philosophy of science is Thomas Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions." In some ways Powell does the job better, simply by providing a blow by blow account of a current-day scientific revolution centering on one of most compelling and generally accessible scientific questions of our time: "Whatever happened to the dinosaurs?"