The Auditorium Theatre (Chicago’s landmark stage at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) proudly presents National Geographic Live’s “How to Clone a Mammoth” with evolutionary biologist Dr. Beth Shapiro, Sunday, March 26 at 2:00 PM.
The possibility of bringing extinct animal species back from the dead has been a staple of the science-fiction genre for decades. With modern advances in science, we are closer than ever to de-extinction becoming a real prospect. Could extinct species, like mammoths and passenger pigeons, be brought back to life? National Geographic Emerging Explorer Dr. Beth Shapiro is one of the scientists investigating this intriguing possibility.
A pioneer in ancient DNA research, Shapiro travels extensively through the Arctic regions of Siberia and North America to collect the bones, teeth, and other remains of Ice Age giants like mammoths, saber-toothed cats, and giant camels. She extracts DNA from these remains and uses this information to understand how changing climates and increasing human activity have shaped the present-day distribution of species. Her goal is to use this information from the past and, increasingly, genomic tools developed in the present, to save living species from the same fate as so many ancient animals. During this National Geographic Live presentation, Shapiro will explore the technical challenges, ethical considerations, and potential benefits of the astonishing and controversial science of de-extinction.
“The success of the Jurassic Park franchise shows that we as society are fascinated by the possibility of resurrecting long-extinct animal populations,” said Rich Regan, CEO of the Auditorium Theatre. “We are excited to bring National Geographic Live’s Dr. Beth Shapiro to the Auditorium to share the fascinating science and real-world implications of de-extinction.”
National Geographic Live is a series of engaging, one-of-a-kind presentations featuring expert Speakers and Explorers at events happening throughout the United States and Canada. National Geographic’s broad roster of talent, including renowned photographers, scientists, authors, filmmakers, and adventurers, share their behind-the-scenes stories from the front lines of exploration alongside stunning imagery and gripping footage. After the presentation, a Q&A session allows audience members to interact directly with these esteemed experts. The 2023 National Geographic Live Sunday afternoon series at the Auditorium Theatre concludes with Coral Kingdom and Empires of Ice, April 30.
Tickets
National Geographic Live’s “How to Clone a Mammoth” takes place at the Auditorium Theatre Sunday March 26, 2023 at 2:00 PM. Tickets, priced at $25 and $48, are now available at auditoriumtheatre.org or by calling 312.341.2300, or at the Box Office at 50 E Ida B Wells Drive in Chicago, IL. Click here for phone and in-person hours.
Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more people are available. The Auditorium Theatre offers $20 student rush tickets to full-time college students and $5 tickets to young people ages 13-19 with Urban Gateways' Teen Arts Pass program. The Auditorium also offers a Student Savings Club for both college and high school students. The Auditorium Theatre's ADMIT ONE program offers complimentary tickets to Chicago-area community groups.
Special Thanks
The Auditorium Theatre is grateful for the support of the 2022-23 Series Sponsor of National Geographic Live, Deborah and Bruce Crown. The Auditorium Theatre 2022-23 Season is made possible in part with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Illinois Arts Council Agency. The Auditorium’s official hotel partner is the Palmer House Hilton.
About The Auditorium Theatre
The Auditorium Theatre, located at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive at Roosevelt University in Chicago, is an Illinois not-for-profit organization committed to presenting the finest in international, cultural, community, and educational programming to all of Chicago and beyond as The Theatre for the People. The organization also is committed to the continued restoration and preservation of this National Historic Landmark that originally opened in 1889.
This Auditorium Theatre’s 2022-23 performance season features a dynamic mix of acclaimed global dance companies (Step Afrika!, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, American Ballet Theatre, and the much anticipated annual engagement by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater) while closer to home, beloved Chicago dance companies also take the stage (Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater, South Chicago Dance Theatre, and an evening with Trinity Irish Dance Company, M.A.D.D. Rhythms, and special guest, New York-based Dorrance Dance. In addition, the critically acclaimed National Geographic Live speaker series, offering first-hand accounts and expert voices on cultural and environmental issues, returns with three offerings and a new lower ticket price.
For more information on the Auditorium Theatre and a complete listing of events at the Auditorium Theatre, please visit AuditoriumTheatre.org. For more information on National Geographic Live and other National Geographic events, please visit www.natgeolive.com.
About Dr. Shapiro
Dr. Beth Shapiro is a pioneer and global leader in the high-profile field of ancient DNA and a clear voice in the debate over the future of genetic engineering. A Rhodes Scholar, MacArthur “Genius,” and National Geographic Explorer, Shapiro is Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz, Director of the UCSC Paleogenomics Lab, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.
Shapiro’s research has been published in many top scientific journals, including Science and Nature, and she has written for Popular Science, the Times Higher Education, and The Observer. Shapiro’s dynamic and fluid style and ability to present complex scientific ideas in an easy-to-digest manner have made her a highly sought-after to speaker for public and scientific audiences. A regular on BBC, National Geographic, Discovery, and others, Shapiro is one of the most prominent popularizers of science in her generation.
Shapiro’s first book, How to Clone a Mammoth: The Science of De-Extinction, published by Princeton University Press in 2015, explores the technical, ethical, and ecological challenges to bringing extinct species back to life. How to Clone a Mammoth won the 2016 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books, the 2016 PROSE Award in Popular Science & Popular Mathematics, and the 2016Independent Publisher Book Awards Gold Medal in Science. It was shortlisted for the 2016 Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science and the 2016 LA Times Book Prize in Science & Technology. Her second book, Life as We Made It: How 50,000 years of human innovation refined – and redefined – nature, was a Times Best Book of 2021.
Photos: (top) Image by Raul Martin, (middle) Dr. Beth Shapiro sorting amber- photo by Mathias Stiller, (bottom) Dr. Beth Shapiro in the field – photo by Mathias Stiller