The wonder of earth science, without all the equations
Volcanology and seismology are the geological fields most of us think of when we hear the word “geologist,” but there is much more to it. However, this is usually not the sort of work that captures the public imagination: Sometimes, though, the stars align even for the humble field geologist. Literally. This story is from
Decided to update this 2014 post with a nice video I just found. Hope you enjoy it, too! Scotland’s James Hutton is called the founder of modern geology. How can that be? He was a chemist, after all. Well, for starters, a lot of geology involves chemistry (as I found out to my sorrow as
I’m writing an ebook series on cats and how they evolved, and it’s tempting sometimes to take a break and head into Eastern Oregon, where sabertoothed cat-like apex predators called nimravids now sleep, along with their prey, in the John Day country. I haven’t been there yet, but will visit the area as soon as
You might run across the word “Lomonosov” in the news soon. A ridge of that name is a big part of Russia’s claim to the Arctic, and the UN committee that is responsible for deciding such territorial claims just began a new session. This ridge is named after a famous 18th-century Russian polymath–Mikhail Lomonosov–who, among
At the end of June, researchers suggested adding some new details to the present scientific model of Earth’s outer central core; it’s rather arcane, but the news is a good reminder for us all to honor those who accurately imagined the Earth’s structure without the aid of supercomputers or other modern tools. These thinkers were
On July 5, 1687, Isaac Newton published Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica. The date he invented the cat flap is not known, so let’s include that in today’s celebration.
The counterbalance to Gifford Pinchot. Featured image: Library of Congress via Wikimedia
Don’t worry–John Muir will have his say next Saturday! Featured image: US Department of Agriculture, public domain.
Featured image, via Wikipedia. Yes, Pliny did describe all the characters mentioned at the start of this video, including dog-headed men.
Although I love geoscience, I’m not a geologist, though I tried to become one. Mineralogy lab was tough – you had to identify rocks without using labels. Sadly, YouTube and the Geology Kitchen weren’t around yet. It’s even worse out in the field, of course. The Mohs hardness scale was a lifesaver. Where did it
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"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it." - Terry Pratchett
Walking alongside Opportunity as she explores Endeavour...
Join Mauricio Antón in his search for clues to restore ancient life
Discoveries, Journeys & Milestones in Space Exploration
Posts mainly about volcanoes
by John Bengtson "the great detective of silent film locations" New York Times
Washington's Landslide Blog
Exploring the Civil War-era landscape in the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania region.
Our Discovery and Usage of the Chemical Elements
Official Blog of the National Hurricane Center
Silence Is Golden
