Kenneth Lacovara

Educator/Teacher, Environmentalist, Explorer, Musician, Parent, Performer, Scientist, World traveler, Writer/Editor

In his quest to understand the largest dinosaurs to have walked the Earth, Lacovara blends exploration with the latest imaging and modeling techniques from engineering to medicine. Paleontologist Kenneth Lacovara famously unearthed some of the largest dinosaurs ever to walk our planet, including the super-massive Dreadnoughtus, which at 65 tons weighs more than seven T.Rex. When he's not excavating fossils from far-flung locations, Lacovara works on the cutting edge of applying 21st-century technology to the study of dinosaurs. By using 3D imaging, 3D printing, robotics, and medical modeling techniques, his work is helping to shift our perspective of giant herbivorous dinosaurs from their historic portrayal as hapless lumbering prey to that of fearsome, hulking, hyper-efficient eating machines. Lacovara led the effort to establish the Edelman Fossil Park of Rowan University in suburban New Jersey, and is directing the creation of a $75 million museum at the site. The quarry preserves a rich cache of marine fossils that Lacovara is using to engage school kids in the thrill of exploration, and to shed light on the calamitous events that wiped out the dinosaurs. He is author of the TED Book, "Why Dinosaurs Matter,” winner of a Nautilus Book Award. In 2019, Kenneth was awarded the Explorers Club Medal, the club’s highest honor.

Helping kids see themselves as explorers and future scientists. Communicating both the beautiful and hard truths that science makes apparent. Turning nature into science with things I buy at the hardware store.

The power of science to contextualize our lives. With nothing more than a hammer or a shovel, we can travel back in time to worlds where humans didn’t exist, worlds governed by nature alone. There’s nothing more humbling than the combined impact of the geological time scale and Voyager 1’s vision of our planet as The Pale Blue Dot. Seeing our species as a potentially fleeting experiment in evolution inspires me to take better care of our planet.

Earth History, Evolution, Geology, Paleontology, Pubic Speaking, Science Communication

Presenting on the main TED stage was an amazing and transformative experience. I am honored and profoundly grateful to be part of the TED community.

Jazz drumming and unplugged woodworking