Exploring the influence of meteors on culture and society

Duane Hamacher (University of Melbourne, Australia)

Meteors are a topic of extreme interest to scientists, social scientists, theologians, and the public alike. These natural phenomena signify the Creation and the Apocalypse, the beginning and end, the Alpha and the Omega. The impact of comets during the Earth's formation seeded the ingredients necessary for life to evolve, while later impacts erased the very life it helped to create. Cultural traditions about meteors follow a similar view - they can seed life and destroy it. This talk will examine the role of meteors in cultures across the globe, with a focus on the Aborignal and Torres Strait Islander cultures of Australia, featuring videos of traditional dances that show the importance and relevance of bright meteors and their relationship to transiting from this world to the afterlife.