Dinosaurs were fabricated to bring money to the geology department
You'd otherwise not be able to generate interest in rocks
31-35, M
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ArishMell · 70-79, M
LOL!
There is far more to geology than one narrow range of fossils from one narrow part of the Earth's history.
The detailed study of the fossils and the animals and plants they represent, is the branch of geology called Palaeontology, and it covers far, far more than dinosaurs.
Yes, the big fossils do inspire some people to become geologists, but not all. Some might be inspired by earthquakes and volcanoes, spectacular landscapes or beautiful minerals.
Geology is not only palaeontology but includes geomorphology, the "economic minerals" (mainly petroleum and metal ores), igneous petrology (extremely complicated!), plate tectonics with its associated seismology and vulcanology, the Ice Ages and past climates, hydrology, etc.
At high level Geology demands understanding Physics and Chemistry and can be highly Mathematical; Palaeontology is more Applied Biology needing serious geological knowledge as well - and it is not only about dinosaurs!
So though you can develop a deep, specialist study and knowledge of ancient fauna and flora, the "interest in rocks" generally is far, far more than an interest in one relatively narrow range of fossils and their host rocks from one phase of the Earth's history.
What's really amusing - or very sad - is that there a few people about who really would believe that Dinosaurs never existed in real-life. They want to believe that anything geological is a lie, despite a little thought showing the obvious, sheer absurdity, improbability and impossibility of believing anyone would or could create a lie early in the 19C and review, refine and expand it cohesively and coherently, world-wide, to this day!
There is far more to geology than one narrow range of fossils from one narrow part of the Earth's history.
The detailed study of the fossils and the animals and plants they represent, is the branch of geology called Palaeontology, and it covers far, far more than dinosaurs.
Yes, the big fossils do inspire some people to become geologists, but not all. Some might be inspired by earthquakes and volcanoes, spectacular landscapes or beautiful minerals.
Geology is not only palaeontology but includes geomorphology, the "economic minerals" (mainly petroleum and metal ores), igneous petrology (extremely complicated!), plate tectonics with its associated seismology and vulcanology, the Ice Ages and past climates, hydrology, etc.
At high level Geology demands understanding Physics and Chemistry and can be highly Mathematical; Palaeontology is more Applied Biology needing serious geological knowledge as well - and it is not only about dinosaurs!
So though you can develop a deep, specialist study and knowledge of ancient fauna and flora, the "interest in rocks" generally is far, far more than an interest in one relatively narrow range of fossils and their host rocks from one phase of the Earth's history.
What's really amusing - or very sad - is that there a few people about who really would believe that Dinosaurs never existed in real-life. They want to believe that anything geological is a lie, despite a little thought showing the obvious, sheer absurdity, improbability and impossibility of believing anyone would or could create a lie early in the 19C and review, refine and expand it cohesively and coherently, world-wide, to this day!
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ArishMell · 70-79, M
@TheEmperor LOL! No - of course they would not believe in fantasies about rocks chasing people.
They believe instead that although Jurassic Park is science-fiction, there was life that had come and gone long aeons before that fictional film set in our own time, or The Flintstones cartoonists' petty ignorance of palaeontology and archaeology.
Oh, and yes, of course the temperature scale is man-made, whether you use Celsius or Kelvin (same "size" degrees, different reference-levels) but is based on physical things as real as dinosaurs were.
Perhaps you might tell us why you do not want any such reality?
They believe instead that although Jurassic Park is science-fiction, there was life that had come and gone long aeons before that fictional film set in our own time, or The Flintstones cartoonists' petty ignorance of palaeontology and archaeology.
Oh, and yes, of course the temperature scale is man-made, whether you use Celsius or Kelvin (same "size" degrees, different reference-levels) but is based on physical things as real as dinosaurs were.
Perhaps you might tell us why you do not want any such reality?
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ArishMell · 70-79, M
@TheEmperor Oh, I do know rocks can "chase" people unfortunate enough to be close to a landslip! That is a hazard of parts of the coast in my part of the world.
Temperature scales are not "fictitious", any more than are the metre, litre and gramme; but they are artificial ways to represent real things that don't themselves have "units". At least the Celsius and Kelvin scales are simple and based on very common, simple, everyday things - the physical properties of water - unlike the extinct Reamur and almost-obsolete Fahrenheit with their arcane reference-levels based on other substances.
"...religious proof that might suggest..." That proves only that you have a particular belief.
If you distrust science that much, why use the Internet?
Temperature scales are not "fictitious", any more than are the metre, litre and gramme; but they are artificial ways to represent real things that don't themselves have "units". At least the Celsius and Kelvin scales are simple and based on very common, simple, everyday things - the physical properties of water - unlike the extinct Reamur and almost-obsolete Fahrenheit with their arcane reference-levels based on other substances.
"...religious proof that might suggest..." That proves only that you have a particular belief.
If you distrust science that much, why use the Internet?
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ArishMell · 70-79, M
@TheEmperor It's a product of Science..... :-)