Monday 4 April 2011
Geology Myths and Misunderstandings
Geology Myths and Misunderstandings
I was pondering the other day on common topics in geology where there are a very large percentage of people that have a geological “urban legend” for example this informative and well laid out article on where diamonds come from is a prime example.
Most people I have asked the question where do you think diamonds come from? Primarily answer coal. When asked why they thought that there was a wide range of responses ranging from “its carbon, that’s what diamonds are made of” to “black rocks that are made very hard”. After owing the article to them there was a moment of “OH I didn’t know that” and then proceeded with “that interesting”. This made me wonder if this is a way to get people interested in geology.
If anyone more has any Geological Urban Legends to share please post below!
Tsunami Detection
Tsunami detection
With the current news pouring out information on the Japanese tsunami, and the effects I was curious as to how waves like this can be detected? Are they presumed to happen or are there warning systems out there and in use right now?
I came across this short video which I found very interesting, even though it want very detailed it did show the expanse of these devices around the globe. Without any surprises however if you look at the location map near the end of the clip you can see that all of the buoys are placed around the ring of fire as earthquakes are the most dominant cause of tsunamis.
Here is the link to the video, hope you enjoy watching.
I couldn’t locate any information on what system gave Japan the warning but here is an article in the Christian Science Monitor about the difference in technology between earthquake detection and tsunami detection. Do we need a better tsunami detection system? This is a question I’m sure many people will be asking and I’m sure the results will become visible soon.
Does Geology Excite People
Does geology excite people?
Now I know the answer from this community is yes, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this blog or any others similar but does geology interest the general public?
Now that in itself is an interesting question. I believe people are interested in geology but only when it is topical on the main news, such as earthquakes, volcanoes and any other geological hazard. However when it comes to more subtle geological processes and discoveries, for example the discovery of a new fossil not many people are interested.
Museums often hold exhibits with geological themes for example the one below is on Darwin the geologist.
When reading this I did note that the language is very basic and actually has very little reference to any geological term, from this I gathered that it had been targeting people without a geological background. It would have been interesting to see how many people went to the exhibitions without any geological knowledge, and if they did it spark any interest in the field?
Geoscience In Schools
Is our communication as geoscientists failing to reach the general public due to their knowledge base?
Do we need to educate the older generations who understand implication of actions, such as climate change, recourses and hazards alike or should we think about getting a younger audience involved.
Any society that is serious about the education of its children must be equally serious about supporting the continuing education of those charged with that task.... Rapid and extensive improvement of science education is unlikely to occur until it becomes clear to scientists that they have an obligation to become involved in elementary- and secondary-level science."
The Role of Scientists in the Professional Development of Science Teachers
Chapter 3, NRC, 1996
Wendy Van Norden is a science teacher of 27 years has said that we do not teach enough geology. We do not graduate enough geology majors, and, worst of all, we are not doing enough to educate the public about the geosciences. Colleges and middle schools, for the most part, are doing a fine job of teaching the Earth sciences. But, most high school curricula do not include a substantial geology component. The resulting gap not only has lowered the level of geology literacy in our citizens but also has resulted in too few college students choosing to study geology.
I also agree that not enough geology is taught in school, considering our entire economy does filter down to a geologist at some point. With such a multitude of knowledge and implications it is fundamental that more people are educated in basic geology, as this may help correct the miscommunication between the general public and geoscientists.
Monday 24 January 2011
Eggtacular!
A pterosaur has been found in China beautifully preserved with an egg.
Full story found on BBC News below.
here below is the abstract taken from the related Scientific paper.
A sexually mature individual of Darwinopterus preserved together with an egg from the Jurassic of China provides direct evidence of gender in pterosaurs and insights into the reproductive biology of these extinct fliers. This new find and several other examples of Darwinopterus demonstrate that males of this pterosaur had a relatively small pelvis and a large cranial crest, whereas females had a relatively large pelvis and no crest. The ratio of egg mass to adult mass is relatively low, as in extant reptiles, and is comparable to values for squamates. A parchment-like eggshell points to burial and significant uptake of water after oviposition. This evidence for low parental investment contradicts the widespread assumption that reproduction in pterosaurs was like that of birds and shows that it was essentially like that of reptiles.
There are a few noticeable differences between the articles; firstly the use of descriptive language used by either side is very different for example. The BBC describe the egg as beautifully preserved whereas the abstract describes it as A parchment-like eggshell, assuming that anyone that reads it will have a passion for paleontology and assume that everyone initially thinks that it is beautiful. Also the depositional story is more “jazzed up” – the specimen could have fallen from the sky during a storm or perhaps a volcanic eruption, sunk to the bottom of a lake and then been preserved in the sediments. Whereas the Abstract just purely state that it is burial and significant uptake of water after oviposition, shown by the preservation of the egg. I know which one sounds more dramatic and gives a good mental image.
Surprisingly there are many more dates within the BBC report, even though these don’t show uncertainty it does give the reader something to go by.
Also another point for discussion is that there is a lack of a link or a way to access the original paper, scientific paper locating is also a bit of an art that you learn by being part of the scientific community, so to someone that doesn’t have these skills it can be nearly impossible or very off putting, are we purposely pushing the non academics or scientific literate away?
Communication
Harding (1998) claims that scientists have the responsibility to share their latest discoveries which could
ensure the sustainability of our cities and have a major role to play in promoting a good public understanding of science. Achieving effective communication of science is particularly crucial when it comes to topics with high importance for the society such as global warming and climate change which are continuously discussed within both scientific and public arena (Bell 1994, Boykoff and Roberts 2007). So how do we go about doing this? Communicating to the public is a difficult issue but which party makes it difficult, is it the scientists? Or the general public? I will be looking at ways that geoscience is communicated to the public and then to the academic community and try to look at the differences, similarities and the possible need for change to the system.
Is it wrong that I have referenced this blog in a scientific way?
Should it be more informal, chatty or simple to understand?
I’m hoping that these questions will be answered during the duration of this blog.
Harding, 1998, Environmental decision-making: The roles of scientists, engineers, and the public, Sydney, Federation Press.
Bell, 1994, Media (mis)communication on the science of climate change. Public Understanding of Science, vol.3, pp.259-275.
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