T. Rex and the Crater of Doom

T. Rex and the Crater of Doom illuminates how the scientific process is central to discovery. Geologists use material evidence to form hypotheses that they strive to prove. The author demonstrates the tumultuous nature of scientific discovery, emphasizing how with each success that scientists enjoy, they inevitably face confusion and failure too. For example, Alvarez and his team searched excitedly for evidence that a supernova explosion could have killed the dinosaurs. They hoped that rocks from the KT boundary would contain plutonium-244, proving that a supernova had exploded near Earth at that time. While their first test suggested that plutonium-244 was present in the KT boundary rocks, the next test did not detect any plutonium, and the frustrated scientists had to go back to the drawing board to form a new theory: “A careful analysis of the experiment made it clear that the supernova hypothesis was dead […] We went home in the early morning dejected” (74).

In hindsight, Alvarez realizes how naive optimism fueled his early years in geological research: At the time he did not realize the constant struggle inherent in the scientific process, especially when engaged in new research:

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