Discovering The Secret Lives of Ancient Sharks

Title - Discovering The Secret Lives of Ancient Sharks

Speaker - Sora Kim, PhD. Associate Professor of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced

Location - Bike Dog West Sacramento Brewery: 2568 Industrial Blvd #110, West Sacramento, CA 95691

Sharks capture our imagination like few other animals. Yet despite all the fascination, sharks remain surprisingly difficult to study. Dr. Sora Kim, who has been featured on The Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, uses chemistry hidden inside shark tissues and teeth to uncover secrets about these ancient animals.

This lecture reaches far beyond the modern ocean and into the deep past. Sharks first appeared more than 420 million years ago, and their teeth are among the most common fossils on Earth. Those teeth act like tiny time capsules, preserving clues about how extinct sharks lived. Most people have heard of the giant “Meg,” or megalodon, but did you know that the chemistry of its teeth can reveal surprising details about its diet and even its body temperature? By combining chemistry, fossils, and modern ecology, we can better understand how sharks have responded to environmental change through time, and predict how different shark species may respond to our changing climate.

This lecture is a deep dive (pun intended) into the cutting-edge science used to study these incredible, ancient animals. If you’re a shark nerd then this lecture is for you!

Dr. Sora Kim is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Merced, where she uses chemistry to uncover the hidden stories of animals and ecosystems, both past and present. Her research explores how climate and environmental change shape the lives of animals across time, from living sharks in today’s oceans to extinct species millions of years ago. While she is best known for her work on sharks—including appearances on Discovery Channel’s Shark Week—she also studies wolves in Sweden and Canada, as well as Ice Age animals preserved in California’s famous tar pits. Sora believes that the best science comes from bringing together diverse perspectives, disciplines, and people to ask bigger questions and find better answers.

Bike Dog Brewing is a beloved Sacramento craft brewery who has a rotating lineup of house-made beers, and non-alcoholic beverages. They share their West Sacramento Taproom with Baker Family Wines who will provide wine for the lecture. There will be a food truck on site. 

All Common Knowledge events are 21+

Schedule:

6pm - Doors Open: grab a drink and mingle. We'll have trivia questions on the screen and some surprises

7pm - Program begins with an intro & prize giveaway

7:15pm - Lecture begins

8pm - Q&A

8:15pm - Mingle, discuss the lecture, meet the speaker

9pm - You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here

What to Expect:

Common Knowledge is Sacramento's premiere bar lecture series.

At Common Knowledge we believe that learning something new is the most rewarding and fun thing you can do. We're about bringing diverse people and ideas together to have a great time.

This event is open seating so come at 6pm to grab a drink and a seat. Before the lecture we'll have music and trivia questions on the screen. We'll also have a fun, low pressure “side quest” so you can win a prize.

The lecture will last for 45 minutes and is made for an intelligent, general audience so you don't need any specialized background to have a great time. After the lecture, there will be 15 minutes for Q&A and then the bar will be open to hang out, meet the speaker, and discuss the ideas you just heard.

The bar will close at 9pm.

 Parking:

There is a parking lot behind Bike Dog West Sac.

Policies:

All Common Knowledge events are 21+

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