Remember the movie of the nineties about JFK? Kevin Costner played Jim Garrison, the famous lawyer who initiated the case to determine who had killed President Kennedy. His eloquence, elegance, and distinction rhymed with the importance of his mission: to decide who was guilty of the most mediated murder of the second half of the 20th century.
Now let’s think about the Jurassic Park movies. Remember the geologist and paleontologist Allan Grant who played Sam Neil? You will remember him because like Kevin Costner, Sam is at the center of the action, although for a short time. At least he was, shortly before fleeing so as not to be devoured by a pair of velociraptors. Are we geologists destined to die in the jaws of a dinosaur?
The films reveal stereotypes in their absolute cruelty: lawyers are essential for society; geologists are expendable. According to this stereotype, geologists only support engineers, we never arrive in time to prevent disaster and live disconnected from reality, somewhere lost in our world, away from those who make important decisions. How is it possible that we are dispensable when we are the ones who find the mineral deposits and the oil fields that have given the money to those who make the important decisions? What do geologists have in our favor to reverse this situation?
Geologists are able to see an outcrop (sophisticated word meaning “rock wall”) and interpret what happened there, or somewhere far away, many or very few years ago. We have a lot of imagination. Albert Einstein said: “I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world”. The model of the twentieth-century scientist points out that creativity and imagination are essential to generate knowledge.
Petropicto (2014) by Ciruelo
What do we see in this image? The artist Ciruelo, in his work Petropicto (2014), has taken advantage of the superficial appearance of this rock, with its natural coloration and its cracks, and has carved a fantastic caravel that takes us towards a mysterious and unknown journey. What do we geologists see? We see a limestone, moderately fractured, due to different types of forces, coming from different directions. Oh, and we also see the caravel.
Photo by Tony Denyer, Dawn Denyer, and Ian West, 2008
In this other image, what does the geologist see? An intrusion (probably a gabbro) that has cut through a sequence of sedimentary rocks (probably sandstones) that are necessarily prior to the intrusion. Of course, he also sees the foot of a giant insect that was embedded in the sand. The rest of the body of the insect does not appear because it would be too frightening.
What else can we say about this hybrid between geologist and artist, between scientist and fabler? That the contemporary world is ideal to demonstrate our ability to imagine and lead in multidisciplinary spaces.
If we stop being weird, disconnected and misplaced we will have good tools to visualize. Our capacity for communication and ability to dialogue with others can be accompanied by readings and concerns about other “non-geological” issues that help us open our perspectives.
It should not be the economists or the lawyers who lead the discussions that allow us to understand the world in which we live. It could also be the geologists. The geologist of today knows that the challenges of sustainable development are addressed as a team and knows how to communicate clearly, so that other professionals understand his value. At least he must know, if he does not wish to be the next dinner of a velociraptor …
Superb website you have here but I was wanting to know if you knew of any community forums that cover the same topics discussed in this article? I’d really love to be a part of online community where I can get feed-back from other experienced people that share the same interest. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. Bless you!
Hello 🙂 Your post is very brilliant and fascinated, I like the idea and conception. I retargeting main address for all friends… 🙂 Thanks!
I thought it was gonna be some boring old publish, but it in actuality paid out for my time. I will piece of writing a link to the page in my weblog. I am sure my personal guests will finally find that invaluable. . . .
What I wouldnt give to have a debate with you about this. You just say so many things that arrive from nowhere that Im fairly sure Id have a fair shot. Your weblog is terrific visually, I mean people wont be bored. But others who can see past the videos and the layout wont be so impressed with your generic understanding of this subject.
¡Thanks for your comment!
A helpful share, I just passed this onto a student who was doing a little analysis on this. And he in fact purchased me lunch because I found it for him.. smile. So let me reword that: Thank you for the treat! But yeah Thnkx for spending the time to talk about this, I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic. If possible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your blog with more info? It is extremely helpful for me. Big thumb up for this article!
¡Thanks for your comment!
Thanks pertaining to spreading that excellent subject material on your web-site. I ran into it on the search engines. I may check back again once you post additional aricles.
So informative site! Big thanks! Thanks for a great time visiting your site. Its really a pleasure knowing a site like this packed with great information. Thank you!
¡Thanks for your comment!
As a contractor, I address some of these issues are a regular basis thanks for making sense!
¡Thanks for your comment!
I will surely foreward this post to all of my pals! Its very first-rate and a very superior check out!
Hi, I just discovered your site through Google. Your post is truly relevant to my life right now, and I am definitely satisfied I came across your blog.
Thank you so much for your message! We are glad to know that you stumbled upon our website
Resources these as the one you mentioned here will be incredibly useful to myself! Ill publish a hyperlink to this web page on my individual blog. Im positive my site visitors will come across that quite advantageous.
Thank you so much for your message and supporting us!
Took me time for you to read all the comments, but I truly enjoyed the piece of writing. It proved to be in actual fact helpful to me and I’m sure to all of the commenters right here! It’s usually huge when you can not just be informed, but additionally engaged! I’m certain you had enjoyable writing this write-up.
Thank you so much for your message! We are glad to know that our website was engaging for you.
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you writing this write-up and the rest
of the website is very good.
Thank you so much for your message! We are glad to know that you appreciate our content
I simply want to say I am beginner to weblog and actually savored you’re website. Very likely I’m want to bookmark your website . You definitely come with good posts. Thanks a lot for revealing your blog site.
Thank you so much for your message! We are glad to know that you stumbled upon our website
Nice to become browsing your weblog once more, it continues to be months for me. Nicely this article that ive been waited for so long. I require this article to total my assignment in the school, and it has exact same topic together with your post. Thanks, great share.
Thank you so much for your message! We are glad to know that it was helpful
Well I really enjoyed studying it. This information offered by you is very effective for good planning.
Very cool, some wonderful points! I appreciate you making this post available, the rest of your site is also well done. I hope you have a great day.
It’s an awesome post for all the online people; they will take benefit from it I am sure.|
¡Thanks for your comment!
*Im impressed, I should say. Truly rarely do I encounter a blog thats both educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, youve hit the nail on the head. Your thought is outstanding; the concern is something that not enough individuals are speaking intelligently about. I am really happy that I stumbled across this in my search for something relating to this.
¡Thanks for your comment!
You made some nice points there. I did a search on the issue and found most guys will consent with your blog.
¡Thanks for your comment!
Thank you for sharing that excellent subject material on your web site. I noticed it on the search engines. I will check back again after you post much more aricles.
¡Thanks for your comment!
Im grateful for the post.Really thank you! Really Great.
I ran into this page accidentally, surprisingly, this is a amazing blog :-). The site owner has carried out a superb job of putting it together, the info here is really insightful. You just secured yourself a guarenteed reader.
Thank you so much for your message! We are glad to know that you stumbled upon our website and that we have a guaranteed reader.
Hello there, I found your blog by means of Google at the same time as looking for a related topic, your
website got here up, it looks good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
Hello there, simply turned into aware of your weblog via Google, and located
that it’s really informative. I am going to watch out for brussels.
I’ll be grateful for those who continue this in future.
A lot of folks will be benefited from your writing.
Cheers!
Steve, thank you so much for your message! We are glad to know that you stumbled upon our website.
Your style is so unique compared to other folks I’ve read stuff from.
Thank you for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I
will just book mark this blog.
Thank you so much for your message! We are glad to know that you enjoy our content
Hello There. I discovered your weblog the use of msn. This is
a very well written article. I will be sure to bookmark it and return to learn extra of your useful info.
Thank you for the post. I’ll certainly return.
Thank you so much for your message!
It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d without
a doubt donate to this excellent blog! I guess for now i’ll settle for book-marking
and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.
I look forward to brand new updates and will talk about this blog with my
Facebook group. Talk soon!
Thank you so much for your message! We are glad to know that you read our blog
Your site is awesome! I found it on Bing and couldn’t resist reading it. You have some good information here. Thanks for posting!
Thank you so much for your message! We are glad to know that you stumbled upon our website
Hey there! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow
you if that would be ok. I’m definitely enjoying your
blog and look forward to new updates.
Great blog right here! Additionally your site lots up very fast!
What host are you the use of? Can I am getting your
associate hyperlink on your host? I desire my website loaded up as quickly
as yours lol
constantly i used to read smaller articles that also clear their motive, and that is also happening with this paragraph which I am reading now.