System Change – A story about sex, fire and the tipping points of life: A new book by NHM Vienna geologist Mathias Harzhauser
27. August 2025
What do flower power, golden nails, and a red
queen have to do with geology?
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Mathias Harzhauser, Director of the Department of Geology & Palaeontology at the Natural History Museum Vienna (NHM), takes readers on a journey to distant worlds and long-lost eras when Earth was still young. In a witty and engaging narrative, he spans millions of years, recounting how catastrophes, feedback loops, and evolution casually wiped out entire branches of the tree of life while allowing others to flourish — and offers glimpses into how our story might continue. You've never experienced geology like this before!
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Mathias Harzhauser, Director of the Department of Geology & Palaeontology at the Natural History Museum Vienna (NHM), takes readers on a journey to distant worlds and long-lost eras when Earth was still young. In a witty and engaging narrative, he spans millions of years, recounting how catastrophes, feedback loops, and evolution casually wiped out entire branches of the tree of life while allowing others to flourish — and offers glimpses into how our story might continue. You've never experienced geology like this before!
For
the past 3.8 billion years, the history of life has been a wild ride — an absurd sequence of failures, restarts, innovations,
and perilous tipping points. Always in a field of tension between “homegrown” geological processes, deadly threats from space,
and cascades of positive or negative feedback triggered by life itself. Surprisingly often, Earth has radically changed its
appearance: it went through black and violet phases, transformed into a giant snowball, and became a deadly desert planet.
And the true rulers in this game? Microbes! They destroyed the early atmosphere, shrouded the oceans for billions of years
in deathly blankets, and even triggered ice ages. At the same time, they laid the foundation for the evolution of higher life.
There are many books about Earth's history and the evolution of life — but never before has the backstage of the “Earth system” been explored so compactly and comprehensively. The book also provides the tools to engage with possible future scenarios for our planet: Will coral reefs perish in acidic oceans as CO₂ dissolves in seawater — just like 250 million years ago? Or will methane hydrates on continental slopes melt and, as 56 million years ago, trigger a geologically brief yet devastating super-greenhouse effect for the biosphere?
After reading this book, you'll know when beauty began — and why cows can become dwarfs!
This book instills humility — humility in the face of massive geological shifts, unimaginably long timescales, and the countless, largely unexplored lifeforms hidden deep within the rocks. In particular, the realization of the existence and impact of the deep biosphere has yet to fully enter the scientific mainstream.Mathias Harzhauser, however, does not respond to our smallness with despair — on the contrary: never before has a geology book been written with such precision, relevance, and humor.
Dr. Katrin Vohland, Director General and Scientific Director, NHM Vienna
The book presentation will take place on Thursday, September 4th, 2025 at 6.30 p.m. in the lecture hall of the NHM Vienna.
Welcome Address
Time Travel Guide and Author
Musical Accompaniment
The book is available for € 19.90 in the NHM Vienna shop as well as in bookstores.
A review PDF is available upon request to: irina.kubadinow@nhm.at
Scientific inquiry note:
Univ. Prof. Dr. Mathias Harzhauser
https://www.nhm.at/mathias_harzhauser
Tel.: +43 (1) 521 77 – 250 I mathias.harzhauser@nhm.at
General request for information:
Mag. Irina Kubadinov, Head of Press Department, Press Spokesperson
https://www.nhm.at/irina_kubadinow
Tel.: + 43 (1) 521 77 – 410 I irina.kubadinow@nhm.at
Mag. Nikolett Kertész-Schenk, Bakk. BA MAS, Press Officer
https://www.nhm.at/nikolett_kertesz
Tel.: + 43 (1) 521 77 – 626 I nikolett.kertesz@nhm.at
There are many books about Earth's history and the evolution of life — but never before has the backstage of the “Earth system” been explored so compactly and comprehensively. The book also provides the tools to engage with possible future scenarios for our planet: Will coral reefs perish in acidic oceans as CO₂ dissolves in seawater — just like 250 million years ago? Or will methane hydrates on continental slopes melt and, as 56 million years ago, trigger a geologically brief yet devastating super-greenhouse effect for the biosphere?
After reading this book, you'll know when beauty began — and why cows can become dwarfs!
This book instills humility — humility in the face of massive geological shifts, unimaginably long timescales, and the countless, largely unexplored lifeforms hidden deep within the rocks. In particular, the realization of the existence and impact of the deep biosphere has yet to fully enter the scientific mainstream.Mathias Harzhauser, however, does not respond to our smallness with despair — on the contrary: never before has a geology book been written with such precision, relevance, and humor.
Dr. Katrin Vohland, Director General and Scientific Director, NHM Vienna
The book presentation will take place on Thursday, September 4th, 2025 at 6.30 p.m. in the lecture hall of the NHM Vienna.
Welcome Address
Dr. Katrin Vohland
Director General and Scientific Director, NHM ViennaTime Travel Guide and Author
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Mathias Harzhauser
Director of the Department for Geology & Paleontology, NHM ViennaMusical Accompaniment
Herbert Könighofer & Sid Hille
Thematic compositionsThe book is available for € 19.90 in the NHM Vienna shop as well as in bookstores.
A review PDF is available upon request to: irina.kubadinow@nhm.at
Scientific inquiry note:
Univ. Prof. Dr. Mathias Harzhauser
https://www.nhm.at/mathias_harzhauser
Tel.: +43 (1) 521 77 – 250 I mathias.harzhauser@nhm.at
General request for information:
Mag. Irina Kubadinov, Head of Press Department, Press Spokesperson
https://www.nhm.at/irina_kubadinow
Tel.: + 43 (1) 521 77 – 410 I irina.kubadinow@nhm.at
Mag. Nikolett Kertész-Schenk, Bakk. BA MAS, Press Officer
https://www.nhm.at/nikolett_kertesz
Tel.: + 43 (1) 521 77 – 626 I nikolett.kertesz@nhm.at
Cover of the new book “System Change - A story about sex, fire, and the
tipping points of life” by Matthias Harzhauser
© NHM Wien, Martin Seyfert
