One of my geotweeps, CGKings317, once tweeted this rather remarkable video showing coastal erosion over the course of a year:
It gives you a sense of just how delicate coastlines can be. There’s the ocean, and storms; wind, water and gravity, all working to lay the land low. 17 meters (almost 56 feet) of prime seaside real estate now sleeps with the fishes.
And we build seawalls and groynes, pile riprap, terrace and wire and drain, do our damnedest to make these temporary landforms permanent, but good Mother Earth just sticks her tongue out at us, goes “Nyah-nyah!” and takes another few bites out of what we thought we could preserve.
This is absolutely glorious. Set aside ten minutes and savor it:
Ellen Morris Bishop is one of my favorite geology writers in the entire universe. Her In Search of Ancient Oregon is a confection of geology, paleontology, and superb photography. I don’t think I’ve ever learned so much while my eyes have been presented so much gourmet candy. I need to get me on one of her geology photo tours someday.
Geology, I’ve noticed, entirely changes ones perspective on landscapes. There are places I go now that I wouldn’t have thought beautiful or important or wonderful before, but do now. Places full of lovely scenery are all the more spectacular for knowing something of how they became so. I hope more people start doing things like this, because there’s nothing like seeing the world through a geologist’s eyes to make you adore it all the more.
As Ellen said, “Oftentimes people don’t really know enough to engage their imagination.” Knowing, that precious knowing, allows us to look at the seemingly ordinary and see the extraordinary.
Not even waiting for Los Links to feature this one. My dear friend Ryan Brown, who blogs at Glacial Till, has a fantastic post up, if you love geology, Doctor Who, or both, you must go read it: Geology 101: Deep Time, or Geologists as Time Lords.
To inspire you on your way, I shall now post a photo of the Tenth Doctor looking a bit like a geologist:
I’m not a natively competitive person, and I don’t foresee any actual losers in the Science Bloggers For Students 2011 challenges, considering that everyone’s involved in an excellent cause. The kids will see nothing but win. But some of us humans need a good friendly rivalry to motivate us. In which case, this is a science celebrity death match and WE WILL PWN YOU SUCKAZ!!!
I can smell the desperation in the air. Check out these two tweets, which simultaneously amused me and made me extremely damned proud of my readers.
My, my. Black magic, even so. And what’s forced them to take these desperate measures?
Our status as of 12:30am PDT
Why, I do believe that would be us, my darlings! Granted, we’re two bucks shy of the full lead amount, but still, we are responsible for that sound of quivering knees emanating from Scientopia’s neck o’ the blogosphere.
Now, not everybody’s going to donate. Some of you have already given generously, more than once. Some of you are starving students who haven’t got a spare dime. But I’m sure there’s plenty of us who could scrounge round in a pocket and come up with $5 or $10. And if you do that between now and the end of the challenge Saturday night, you’re going to get some extra fundage to toss into any project you like. So, go for it.
Mr. Minkler would be very happy. Just look at the note he sent me today:
“Hi Dana, We are crazy about you! Thank you so much for helping us get our kids to GBNP. We had one project completely funded through your blog. You are the best.”
That’s you. You are the best. He and his kids are crazy about you. Because you, my darlings, are the ones making this happen for them.
And if you’re here for the fiction rather than the rocks, and you’d rather support a classroom library, Stephanie’s got a project who’s time is running desperate short. Go buy some kids a book instead. I want Mr. Minkler’s kids to make it to the Great Basin, of course, but us rock-obsessed folk will get them there.
Everyone on Freethought Blogs has got a Donors Choose badge. Go explore until something tickles your fancy, and then put a few bucks in. Even – and this is heresy – head over to one of those other science blogging networks and see if they have anything that catches your eye. Sure, you won’t get any of the fancy incentives I’m offering. But you’ll still have helped students get the things they need, and I can tell you from experience that’s a wonderful, warm, fuzzy feeling.
These kids are the future. Our future. Give them what they need to fall in love with learning, and ensure their futures are full of win. Geos and other adorers of the good science of rock breaking: bring the hammer down. Get Mr. Minkler’s kids out in the field.
I’ll republish the incentives below the fold for those who need reminding. And for those who need competition more than incentives for motivation: DO NOT LET THOSE BLACK-MAGIC WIELDING HEATHENS AT SCIENTOPIA BEST US! NOT WHEN WE’RE SO CLOSE TO TROUNCING THEIR ARSES!
I have to admit that my first thought in the few seconds of this video was, “What the fuck are you doing, you fool? Get away from the wash!”
Then I discovered the person filming the video is a USGS hydrologic technician, and I was like, “Oh, right. Carry on, then.” This is definitely one of those don’t-try-this-unless-you’re-a-paid-professional sort of things. Much like climbing down into the craters of active volcanoes FOR SCIENCE.
These floods are scary dangerous things. Too many people don’t appreciate the power of water. But just watch that video. Look at the sediment load that water’s carrying. Listen to the roar. Consider they could feel boulders bouncing in the flow, just standing there at a relatively safe distance on the bank. Note the size of the channel these occasional floods have carved. It’s not a good place to be standing when the water comes pouring in.
And it comes fast, and hard, and without much warning. Flash floods have appeared in the desert on clear, bright, sunny days when the nearest rain is a hundred miles away. The moment you hear a rumble and a roar, it’s time to get the hell to higher ground.
Unless, of course, you’re a scientist, in which case you know how to do crazy dangerous things relatively safely. In which case, carry on.
Pictures or it didn’t happen, right? At last we have photographic evidence of the awesomeness that was the Skepticism 101 panel at GeekGirlCon, courtesy of the woman who brought Nerf guns to work and, in general, ensures I do not stab myself in the heart with my pen at work. A round of applause for my good friend Caeli Kane, otherwise known as Starspider, ladies and gentlemen. And another for her snazzy new DSLR, if you’d be so kind.
Skepticism 101 panel, from near to far: Valerie Tarico, Meg Winston, a sliver of Jen McCreight's noggin, Amy Davis Roth, moi, and our delightful moderator Case.
That’s some serious Seattle star power right there.
So we’ve had a chat about what is skepticism, and talked about popular pseudoscience. Let us continue ever onwards, and I answer a rather personal question put to each panelist: how has skepticism helped you?
Right. So remember how I said I’d match two $50 donations? And remember how we had two challenges going on, so I kinda figured I’d split my fundage between the two of them?
Heh heh heh whoops. Left it too late. We are down to one unfunded challenge, thanks to your awesomeness. So I put down the complete matching donation on that one. Here ’tis:
Mah Contribution to the Cause
I also want to mention, strictly as an observation, that the only person currently beating us on Freethought Blogs is Jen McCreight, and she has traffic that is an order of magnitude greater than mine. Which, I think, just goes to prove that geologists don’t just rock, they are very gneiss, not to mention the schist.
Thank you, I’ll be here all week.
So, Ms. C’s library project only needs $97. We can do that. In fact, we don’t even need big donations to do it. Here’s a chance for those folks who can only afford tiny donations to make a huge difference. $5, $10, more, less, whatever – it all adds up. The Donors Choose Challenge ends Saturday, so time is of the essence. Get thee to my giving page.
But we’re not stopping there.
I’ve added two projects. They’re not cheap projects. But you know what? These projects will allow kids to get out in the field. They’ll get their hands on geology right out in the field, in Great Basin National Park. Field trip!
There’s nothing like a field trip for making a future geologist. I want to get these kids out in the field, people. I want to make this happen for them. And I believe you guys can do this.
So here they are:
1. Discovering the Wonders of Nevada. “Every year we take 150 fourth graders on an overnight field trip to Great Basin National Park. Our school is a Title One, 100 percent free or reduced lunch school. Our parents are hard working and very supportive, but can’t always provide the enrichment activities their children need. The fourth grade students look forward to the “Ely Trip” every year.” $1006 to go.
2. Exploring the Wonders of Nevada. “Every year we take 150 fourth graders on an overnight field trip to Ely Nevada. For many of our students, this is the first time they have been in a rural setting. Our school is in a lower working class neighborhood. Our students are well-behaved, enthusiastic kids who could use a little “boost.” Our parents are very supportive but can’t always provide the supplies needed for the school year.” $357 to go.
All right? Let’s do this thing. Again, you don’t have to be Aunt or Uncle Moneybags. Little amounts count. Every single dollar gets these kids closer to an experience with geoscience that will stay with them throughout their lives.
So. Incentives. I shall give thee incentives, because this is something we should all do together.
1. I’ll write a short story for the highest donor. You can even choose the subject, if you like, and you’ll get a paper copy complete with autograph, if you wish. You’ll have to give me until the end of the year, because I’m stupid enough to try NaNo this November, but I’ll have it written and sent to you in January. Yes, I will haul my arse to the hated post office just for you.
2. The second-highest donor will get a personally-collected hand sample. That’s right! I’ll post a list of places I’m going this summer (once I know what they are!), and you tell me what hunk o’ beautiful geology you want me to package up and mail to you.
3. I’ll match 4 (count them, 4) donations of $50. So you $50 folk get to double your money! Don’t let that stop you from donating more, of course! And if you guys manage to fund these projects before I can whip my credit card out, you can each pick a project of your own for me to donate to.
4. Starving Students Offer: Those of you too strapped for cash to manage more than small donations can still get a little something! Send me an email telling me what you’re studying, why you chose your major, and why you donated, and I’ll showcase you guys on the site. Plus, I’ll write a poem for the person whose note makes me punch the air and shout, “Yes! Science can haz future!” Same caveats apply as the short story deal.
5. I’ve also got some super-snazzy Mount St. Helens posters, so all who have donated to any of our projects and want their names in for that have a chance at winning one of Mother Earth’s great works of art. Yahoo knows me as dhunterauthor.
We’ve got until Saturday, my darlings. Make it so.
Ron Schott, who is the geoblogosphere’s Bora Zivkovic, hosts Geology Office Hours on Google+ every Monday and Thursday. It’s a time for geo professionals and the geocurious to get together, chat about whatever topic comes to mind, and sometimes show off our rocks. Anybody with a webcam and a G+ account can get in on the fun.
I’m not as good a talker as writer, so don’t join one of the Monday sessions expecting especial brilliance. I’m mostly there to eavesdrop. Didn’t really expect to do so today – I had a ton of stuff I should be doing, and I hadn’t even got out of my pjs, but I’d just got done shooting the cat with some particularly lovely little hand samples, and jumped on to see what Ron thought of them. You know how that goes. You’re all like, “Hey, I’m not really dressed, but quick, look at the pretty rock!” and the next thing you know, a lot of people you admire particularly (like Chris Rowan and Harold Asmis) have joined the conversation, and they get on the topic of geologic timescales and religious students, and you suddenly forget you’re sitting there in your jammies with a head of hair that might frighten small children.
This exchange happened recently on Twitter, retweeted by Brian Switek, and exemplifies why geologists and paleontologists generally get along. I present it to you in its full glory: scientists making fun of the kraken story. Enjoy!
