Dig & Dive with David David Dan Singh

I was honoured to have Alena Iskanderova who is a Scientist and Palaeontologist. Alena comes from a computer science and engineering background and uses her technical skills to study and research fossils, Dinosaur tracks and rocks.

We go back 65 million years ago and even further in time and talk about the environment and its ecosystem which was so different than present day.

Alena also shares how she analyses and researches her work through “photogrammetry”. An efficient way to understand fossils through 3D models and even know the age of rocks.

We also talk about the “Cambrian Explosion” responsible for the evolution of major groups like invertebrates and other species. She also shares her views about life in the late cretaceous period and how a series of events wiped off the Dinosaurs.

So why were dinosaurs so big? Alena helps me to understand a few things that were a major contribution to this such as oxygen levels, which were very high 65 million years ago.

We talk about climate change and how animals are adapting to change. According to her we are heading to another mass extinction. She’s also concerned how fast fossils and tracks are eroding and unfortunately, there is nothing being done to preserve it. This is also not good because we can’t study tracks or even know the age of the rocks and even have preserved fossils.

The Tyrannosaurus Rex is undoubtedly one of the most talked dinosaurs in the world. We talk about its behaviour, vocalizations, social structure, parenting and tracks. We also talk about how the T-Rex was an apex predator but also an opportunist.

Modern birds evolved directly from dinosaurs. Birds have feathers but unlike birds’ dinosaurs like aviary ones shared the same anatomy of a bird and characteristics like egg laying, bone structure and even flight.

Alena also has a startup called “Museum Traveller” where she goes with her team to museums around the world and shares about Natural History, Wildlife and Science.

So if you’re a Dino Enthusiast like me, you don’t want to want to miss this episode!

The best speakers are from the music industry and I truly believe that. Over the weekend, I sat down with Christian hip hop artist & musician Phil Darko who is a native of Toronto, Ontario. Phil, shares his story when he started music at a very young age, listening to rappers like Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Cassidy until the gospel was preached out to him. That is when he decided to write music from a gospel centred worldview. His latest album "Heartburn 3: The Monsters in my diary" is on Spotify. Make sure to check it out, you'll love it!