Dinomania for those aged 7 to 99 - April 3 - 3.46pm - 2022

Dinosaur expert Ben Garrod talks extinction

‘Extinct’ is something Ben Garrod need never worry about (at least, for the foreseeable future). The TV presenter, author and, I quote, ‘all round dinosaur expert’ is a natural communicator and perhaps more importantly, the man most likely to knock ecological adventurer Steve Backshaw off his pedestal (though he’s going to have to seriously work on his ‘pecs’…). This event in The Sheldonian, aimed at children 7+ and titled ‘Why Did Dinosaurs Go Extinct?’ was a pure, unadulterated joy, I’m sure as much for those of us ‘in the stalls’ as Garrod. Bursting with a huge, eager face and a positively Richter Scale enthusiasm, his audience couldn’t wait for their chance to grab the Jurassic spotlight. And boy were they smart. Like super smart. Like Joe 90. Indeed, every question Garrod posed was met with a flurry of super-eager hands, straining and stretching to be asked. And remember, this wasn’t simple science. So damned if they didn’t know ALL the precise terms used to describe the various stages species go through to finally become extinct. And when he asked “Just how old are humans?” a boy who couldn’t have been older than eight confidently shot back “200,000 years”. I caught my breath and even Garrod you could tell was taken aback. Fiercely fascinating and fun in equal measure, it’s the perfect way to sign off to this year’s festival.