tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37371348.post4215780488876578931..comments2023-11-05T03:45:19.337-05:00Comments on Apparent Dip: Thermochronic Book Club #1 - T.Rex and the Crater of Doom by Walter AlvarezThermochronichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606230819461771700noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37371348.post-57289727331591727132007-03-28T23:11:00.000-04:002007-03-28T23:11:00.000-04:00As for the Gerta Keller paper...I haven't read it....As for the Gerta Keller paper...I haven't read it...but when I took this paleobio seminar last year, those in the field unanimously, but politely, scoffed at most of her work.<BR/><BR/>I don't know...i'm not in the field, but I got the impression that a lot of her previous papers are neither argued well nor backed up by sufficient data.BrianRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04930245080333999989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37371348.post-52921691383876061852007-03-26T18:36:00.000-04:002007-03-26T18:36:00.000-04:00The gist of Gould's paper...if i remember correctl...The gist of Gould's paper...if i remember correctly...was that uniformitarianism could more usefully be subdivided into two types: methodological and substantive -- the former being what we as geologists think of in terms of process and the latter being that specific rates have never changed or varied throughout time, which is clearly not what uniformitarianism is about (but what creationist still spend their time refuting to make their point). The latter is what Lyell may have overemphasized in his time...perhaps justifiably so to boop the creationists...er, i mean catastrophists.<BR/><BR/>Gould makes the point that catastrophic events, which obviously leave their mark in the geologic record, fit just fine within the construct of methodological uniformitarianism.BrianRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04930245080333999989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37371348.post-57086848521880593012007-03-26T07:39:00.000-04:002007-03-26T07:39:00.000-04:00Gould wanting to diss uniformitarianism? Surely no...Gould wanting to diss uniformitarianism? Surely not...<BR/><BR/>Looks like an interesting read though, although the abstract indicates that, as so often happens in these debates, he's trying to push a good point too far.Chris Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10923865059164569384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37371348.post-76428621191272057832007-03-25T12:47:00.000-04:002007-03-25T12:47:00.000-04:00Thanks for the review.I haven't read this book for...Thanks for the review.<BR/>I haven't read this book for a long time...but remember enjoying it. In fact, I gave it to my father as something to read for him to try and understand why we can get so excited about geology/science.<BR/><BR/>I read the original 1980 Science paper in a paleobio seminar last spring...very interesting to read within the context of other papers of the time. The paper comes across, like a lot of important papers do when read later, as very modest and nonchalant.<BR/><BR/>As for the uniformitarianism aspect, y'all should read this paper:<BR/><BR/>Gould, S. J., 1965, Is Uniformitarianism Necessary?, American Journal of Science, v. 263, p. 223-228.<BR/><BR/>Good stuff.BrianRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04930245080333999989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37371348.post-6305159128703996962007-03-25T08:32:00.000-04:002007-03-25T08:32:00.000-04:00Good post/review. I've been thinking about writing...Good post/review. I've been thinking about writing something about the whole 'Uniformitarianism' misconception for a while - I've always put it down to a bizarre fixation on the details of a process rather than its driving forces, but I think you're right about the lack of temporal perspective. I'm not sure you haven't pre-empted me...Chris Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10923865059164569384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37371348.post-13024400799915279612007-03-25T00:06:00.000-04:002007-03-25T00:06:00.000-04:00In the spirit of shameless self-promotion, I'll of...In the spirit of shameless self-promotion, I'll offer up the following link:<BR/><A HREF="http://lablemminglounge.blogspot.com/2006/09/iridium-anomaly-as-historical-artifact.html" REL="nofollow">Iridium anomaly as historical artifact</A>C W Mageehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09706100504739548720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37371348.post-42528826215510401312007-03-24T22:29:00.000-04:002007-03-24T22:29:00.000-04:00As was pointed out by Lab Lemming, I f'd up, the r...As was pointed out by Lab Lemming, I f'd up, the real first publication of the Ir data was in 1980, not 1990, the article I stole the figure from was a reprint, and I forgot to proof read.<BR/><BR/>Alvarez, L. W., Alveraz, W., Asaro, F., and Michel, H., 1980, Extraterrestrial cause for the Creataceous-Tertiary extinction: Science, v. 208, p. 1095- 1108.<BR/><BR/>Mil disculpasThermochronichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08606230819461771700noreply@blogger.com