tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6034022438189435292024-02-08T12:42:00.075-08:00Acicular<i>Get(ting) to the Point!</i>Arvessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283820210970867801noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603402243818943529.post-91149647199734601392011-12-18T10:52:00.001-08:002011-12-18T10:52:57.525-08:00<a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/05/free-science-one-paper-at-a-time-2/all/1">Free Science, One Paper at a Time</a>;<br />interesting article from Wired.Arvessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283820210970867801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603402243818943529.post-28938373271161849902011-12-02T18:54:00.000-08:002011-12-02T19:05:23.072-08:00Texas Groundwater Severely Depleted<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/76000/76575/water_gra_2011332_lrg.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 482px; height: 262px;" src="http://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/76000/76575/water_gra_2011332_lrg.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />via <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=76575">Earth Observatory</a>. Very good article too.Arvessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283820210970867801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603402243818943529.post-47878790003901737362011-11-30T13:32:00.000-08:002011-11-30T13:33:00.004-08:00Time Lapse View from ISS: <br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/32001208?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/32001208">Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/michaelkoenig">Michael König</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><br />Seriously one of the best things i've ever seen.Arvessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283820210970867801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603402243818943529.post-69426579990525055862011-08-16T22:37:00.000-07:002011-08-17T00:01:50.252-07:00Science Fiction Books Have I ReadI'm going to jump on <a href="http://entequilaesverdad.blogspot.com/2011/08/sf-book-bonanza-getcher-meme-on.html">Dana's</a> great meme idea, to list which of <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/08/09/139248590/top-100-science-fiction-fantasy-books">NPR's Top SciFi books</a> we've read. <a href="http://highway8a.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-book-meme-npr-top-100-sf-books.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LookingForDetachment+%28Looking+For+Detachment%29">Silver Fox</a> has also already listed hers.
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<br />Ones I've gotten to in bold!
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<br />1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien
<br /><b>2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams</b>
<br /><b>3. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card</b>
<br />4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert
<br /><b>5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin
<br />6. 1984, by George Orwell
<br />7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury</b>
<br />8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov
<br /><b>9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
<br />10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman</b>
<br />11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman
<br />12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan
<br /><b>13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell</b>
<br />14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson
<br />15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore
<br />16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov
<br /><b>17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein</b>
<br />18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss
<br />19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
<br /><b>20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley</b>
<br />21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick
<br /><b>22. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood</b>
<br />23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King
<br />24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke
<br />25. The Stand, by Stephen King
<br /><b>26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson
<br />27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury
<br />28. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
<br />29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman</b>
<br />30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
<br />31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein
<br />32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams
<br />33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey
<br />34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein
<br /><b>35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller
<br />36. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells
<br />37. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne
<br />38. Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keys
<br />39. The War Of The Worlds, by H.G. Wells</b>
<br />40. The Chronicles Of Amber, by Roger Zelazny
<br />41. The Belgariad, by David Eddings
<br />42. The Mists Of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley
<br />43. The Mistborn Series, by Brandon Sanderson
<br />44. Ringworld, by Larry Niven
<br /><b>45. The Left Hand Of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin</b>
<br />46. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien
<br />47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White
<br />48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman
<br />49. Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke
<br /><b>50. Contact, by Carl Sagan</b>
<br />51. The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons
<br />52. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman
<br />53. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson
<br /><b>54. World War Z, by Max Brooks</b>
<br />55. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle
<br />56. The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman
<br /><b>57. Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett</b>
<br />58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson
<br />59. The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold
<br />60. Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett
<br />61. The Mote In God's Eye, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
<br /><b>62. The Sword Of Truth, by Terry Goodkind</b> (most... but not all...)
<br />63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
<br />64. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke
<br />65. I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson
<br />66. The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist
<br />67. The Shannara Trilogy, by Terry Brooks
<br /><b>68. The Conan The Barbarian Series, by R.E. Howard</b>
<br />69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb
<br />70. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
<br />71. The Way Of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson
<br />72. A Journey To The Center Of The Earth, by Jules Verne
<br />73. The Legend Of Drizzt Series, by R.A. Salvatore
<br />74. Old Man's War, by John Scalzi
<br />75. The Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson
<br />76. Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke
<br />77. The Kushiel's Legacy Series, by Jacqueline Carey
<br />78. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. LeGuin
<br />79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury
<br />80. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire
<br />81. The Malazan Book Of The Fallen Series, by Steven Erikson
<br />82. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde
<br />83. The Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks
<br />84. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart
<br />85. Anathem, by Neal Stephenson
<br />86. The Codex Alera Series, by Jim Butcher
<br />87. The Book Of The New Sun, by Gene Wolfe
<br />88. The Thrawn Trilogy, by Timothy Zahn
<br />89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan
<br />90. The Elric Saga, by Michael Moorcock
<br />91. The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury
<br />92. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley
<br /><b>93. A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge</b>
<br />94. The Caves Of Steel, by Isaac Asimov
<br /><b>95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson</b>
<br />96. Lucifer's Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
<br /><b>97. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis
<br />98. Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville</b>
<br />99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony
<br />100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis
<br />
<br />So, first, I agree with Dana that <b>Wild Seed by Octavia Butler</b> should be on here! Almost anything by Octavia Butler is quality. Kindred. Lilith. Fledging. All. Amazing.
<br />
<br />I also recently enjoyed in Science Fiction:
<br /><b>Dies the Fire by SM Stirling
<br />Rain of Ashes by Robert Wolff
<br />The Great Bay by Dale Pendall
<br />The Postman by David Brin</b>
<br />
<br />hmmmm.... 29/100: a bit less than I would have guessed! I better read more! (I'm not sure this is possible... clearly I should quit my job.) I'm amused that the Song of Ice and Fire Series is so close to the top of the list: Not only am I currently reading the latest book in that series, but I am also knitting an ... icy scarf (? not sure how to describe it... but it's Game of Thrones inspired!) for my sister's roommate who is (almost too) obsessed with those books!
<br />
<br />And for anyone else also into good geology in their fiction, the #1 has to be Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy: one of the main characters, Ann, is an aerologist (which is a Martian geologist in Robinson's lexicography), and has several monologues on Mars' formation and morphology. One of the main arguments through all three books is the possibility and morality of terraforming Mars--lately several of my acquaintances have (randomly) asked me about the possibility of geoengineering our own planet that I initially thought of the arguments in that book. Which is both weird, and what really good fiction should do: stick in our heads and make us think!Arvessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283820210970867801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603402243818943529.post-25003393837694558042011-07-28T16:32:00.000-07:002011-07-28T20:40:12.718-07:00AW #35: The Point of Words<i>"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by."</i><br />--Douglas Adams<br /><br />Hello Geoblogosphere!!<br /><br />At the beginning of July, I fully intended to contribute to this month's <a href="http://georneys.blogspot.com/2011/07/accretionary-wedge-35-favorite-geology.html">Accretionary Wedge, on favorite geology words</a>. And then... I... completely forgot to. <br /><br />i am a long time lurker (and occasional comment-er) on many of your fabulous sites/blogs. First of all, many, many, many thanks for all the interesting articles, pictures, and links you have all posted! <br /><br />So.<br /><br />Picking a favorite geologic word is definitely a challenge. Every time I open Selley's Encyclopedia of Geology, there's another term i hadn't heard before, but love. I've been curating a list of interesting/odd/new to me/essential <a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/geology-words">Geology words</a> at wordnik. (Geobloggers will notice some of the more recent additions to the list are from the recent AW!)<br /><br />From my ongoing list of favorite geology words, there's a few I especially like: <br /><br /><a href="http://www.wordnik.com/words/petrichor">Petrichor</a>: the smell of the earth after rain.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.wordnik.com/words/erg">Erg:</a> A series of dunes, [I once used this word in Scrabble! to the great dismay of my sister!]<br /><br /><a href="http://www.wordnik.com/words/anemology">Anemology</a>: science of the wind.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.wordnik.com/words/karoo">Karoo</a>: A vast prairie bordering a desert. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.wordnik.com/words/xeric">Xeric</a>: extremely dry. <br /><br />...ooh goodness I really could go on! Rhabdolith, lithosphere, drusy, fenestra... there are way too many to choose from! Geology has a huge variety of vocabulary, as it's not only a wide field of study, many landscape terms were adapted from the language group(s) that originally encounterd the landform(s). <br /><br />We have terms from German (karst fenster, flysch, greywacke, horst, feldspar, thalweg, quartz). We have (mostly glacial) terms from Swedish (fjord, tarn), Welsh (cwm, llyn), and Icelandic (jokulhlaup, geyser). We have (mostly desert) terms from Australian Aborigine languages (gilgai), Spanish (arroyo, cuesta, mesa, canyon), and Arabic (wadi, haboob, amber, azimuth, sabkha). And we have terms from several Native American languages (bayou, tepui, yazoo, tuya), French (coulee, butte). And of course Latin and Greek (way too many to list!). Geological words vary from very, very broad, to the almost comically specific. Etymology is interesting as it shows who ideas/things were (first/most) important to, and how we, in the English-speaking world, first became aware of foreign concepts. I think that's even more true with our descriptive science.<br /><br />But what makes a good geology word, or a good scientific term of any sort, is its precision. That is, to anyone who hasn't seen <i>exactly</i> the sample or location that you have, if you use precise enough terminology others can still get an idea of what is there. If you use the <a href="http://www.sutlog.com/Lithology%20abbreviations.pdf">Standard Abbreviations for Lithologic Descriptions</a> and painstakingly match colours to <a href="http://www.applepainter.com/">Munsell's</a>, and always take measurements, anybody with the patience can get a mental image of just what you saw. For that reason I like the many adjectives we can apply to minerals/etc.; all of the "-oids" and "-ys" and "-ateds." <br /><br />The purpose--the point, if you will--of descriptive terminology is to be able to write or portray anything the audience hasn't seen so thoroughly that they'll feel like they have seen it. (Of course, we rarely do that--it's exhausting!) And conversely, another reason to have precise terminology is for when two+ geologists are looking at the same thing, so that they can agree on what's there (also... exhausting!).<br /><br />And my absolute favorite? I'm going to have to go with <b>acicular,</b> 'needle-like crystal form,' aka long, thin, or point. Needle-y. <br /><br />So welcome to my new blog!<br /><br />I also like "acicular" because it's just general enough for the non-geologist to understand, yet evokes a very specific shape/image, and a wide variety of minerals can have this form. The first time I heard this word, I thought it sounded like some sort of Spanish action verb, so I always remember my initial, 'oooooh... it's English!' reaction. (And it's punny, too, my secondary interest after geology happens to be knitting... which involves even more pointy things!)<br /><br /><br /><br />p.s.:<br /><br />I also have a little word mystery that I would like to present to the Geoblogging community: <a href="http://www.wordnik.com/words/shazam">Shazam!</a>! In college, I distinctly remember a TA telling us that "shazam" was the word for the zig-zagged line we could draw when correlating logs if there wasn't enough information to fully/accurately correlate them. However... since then I've not heard others use this word for that situation, nor have other geologists from other schools seemed to know what I meant when I've used it. Does anyone know if 'Shazam' is an actual (common) term, or a nonce description a few grad students happened to like?Arvessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13283820210970867801noreply@blogger.com0