Scientists on five continents are hunting for geological evidence to pinpoint exactly when humans became a major force shaping life on Earth. But settling on the date could unleash a larger debate.
In his new book, The Human Planet: Earth at the Dawn of the Anthropocene, George Steinmetz offers a bird's eye view of the mark humans have made on the global landscape.
Classification of planets offers a way to see how Anthropocenes — and a successful route through them — might be part of a continuum of planetary evolution, says astrophysicist Adam Frank.
Biodiversity archivist Cary Fowler explains how the Svalbard Global Seed Vault will prepare humans for the climate change and its effect on our environment and our food supply.
Environmental writer Emma Marris wants us to broaden our definition of nature to one that embraces urban and wild spaces in order learn to protect and care for it.
Have we entered a new age defined by humans? Paleontologist Kenneth Lacovara says there's "no doubt" that humans' impact on Earth will show up in the geological record.
Some scientists suggest calling the era we live in the Anthropocene, to denote the time when humans came to dominate Earth's fate. But did it start with farming, the atom bomb or another event?