The Return to Home Plate |
The Return to Home Plate |
Jun 14 2007, 02:37 AM
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#316
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Member Group: Members Posts: 307 Joined: 16-March 05 Member No.: 198 |
I've heard people try to use "areology" for the study of Martian landforms, "selenology" for the study of lunar landforms, etc. Frankly, I'd rather just use the term "geology" for all of them, and I'm glad there is an acceptance of the term as it applies to the study of non-terrestrial landforms. Hmm. Does that mean we should not be referring to people like Steve Squyres as "planetologists" but go back to referring to them as "geologists"? ====== Stephen |
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Jun 14 2007, 04:28 AM
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#317
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8783 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Well..."planetary scientist" is a suitably broad term, though perhaps not useful for describing a specialty or focus. I think that, for example, "planetary geologist", "planetary geochemist", etc., etc. would more than suffice.
Main thrust here is to at least state that the person's focus is extraterrestrial, with an implicit acknowledgement that observations must inevitably echo the fact that the scientist in question is probably going to compare and contrast them to his or her own direct terrestrial experiences, odd as Earth may be in many ways... -------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Jun 14 2007, 05:09 AM
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#318
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2228 Joined: 1-December 04 From: Marble Falls, Texas, USA Member No.: 116 |
Various terminologies are useful at different times, but you can really get get caught up in semantics if you try to be too specific. I would think that most scientists think outside of their specific specialties when they need to. I'm sure it is dangerous, but I sometimes wonder about the geology of neutron stars. Does that make me a stellar geologist? You might find some who would object.
-------------------- ...Tom
I'm not a Space Fan, I'm a Space Exploration Enthusiast. |
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Jun 15 2007, 04:22 AM
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#319
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Member Group: Members Posts: 307 Joined: 16-March 05 Member No.: 198 |
Well..."planetary scientist" is a suitably broad term, though perhaps not useful for describing a specialty or focus. I think that, for example, "planetary geologist", "planetary geochemist", etc., etc. would more than suffice. I'm sure that's all very logical, but think about it: is someone whose speciality is the study of the rocks of Mars to be dubbed a "martian geologist"? That would surely evoke visions in many lay people of little green men with rockhammers! Main thrust here is to at least state that the person's focus is extraterrestrial, with an implicit acknowledgement that observations must inevitably echo the fact that the scientist in question is probably going to compare and contrast them to his or her own direct terrestrial experiences, odd as Earth may be in many ways... I suppose it all depends on what these terms are supposed to signify. Does "geology" signify the study of rocks (& stratas & soils etc) in general or of Earth rocks et al only (or at least of them in particular)? If the latter then to use "areology" to signify the study of the rocks of Mars (as distinct from those of such places as Earth or the Moon) does have a certain consistency and logic to it. But in that case some other term ("planetology", maybe?) would need to step in for the study of rocks in general regardless of planetary location. Conversely, if "geology" means the study of rocks et al in general then sooner or later there will come a need to coin terms for the fields of study of those who specialise in the rocks of particular planets, be it Mars, the Moon, or Io, just as there has come to be a need to distinguish the field of "geology" from the fields of "geochemistry", "geophysics" etc. It no longer suffices to simply call them all geologists. ====== Stephen |
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Jun 15 2007, 01:32 PM
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#320
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2173 Joined: 28-December 04 From: Florida, USA Member No.: 132 |
...if "geology" means the study of rocks et al in general then sooner or later there will come a need to coin terms for the fields of study of those who specialise in the rocks of particular planets, be it Mars, the Moon, or Io... This would be an unnecessary and confusing complication. A 'geochemist' can apply his expertise to Io just as well as to Mars. Can you imagine the problems caused when an 'Iologist' tries to present a paper on Mars surface chemistry. Will his research be taken as seriously as that of an 'areologist'? Edit: On rethinking (while in the dentist's chair) your explosion of officially named specialties may well be the norm about a hundred years from now. It will be that long before there enough material for study in each specialized area. For the time being I prefer something like: "Venus geologist" (as opposed to a Venusian geologist)or "Geologist specializing in lunar mountain formation" This post has been edited by centsworth_II: Jun 15 2007, 04:03 PM |
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Jun 16 2007, 04:56 PM
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#321
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2820 Joined: 22-April 05 From: Ridderkerk, Netherlands Member No.: 353 |
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Guest_Edward Schmitz_* |
Jun 18 2007, 09:49 PM
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#322
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Guests |
According to Webster, there is dual meaning in the term geology. The term is useful to describe a person studing rocks on another planet.
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Jun 19 2007, 03:42 AM
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#323
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Member Group: Members Posts: 242 Joined: 17-February 04 From: Ohio, USA Member No.: 34 |
I'm sure that's all very logical, but think about it: is someone whose speciality is the study of the rocks of Mars to be dubbed a "martian geologist"? That would surely evoke visions in many lay people of little green men with rockhammers! Sometimes English isn't very precise. I'm a paleontologist who studies invertebrate fossils. Those of us in this field often refer to ourselves as "invertebrate paleontologists" yet we do have a backbone! (No spineless jokes, please. ) |
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Jun 20 2007, 12:26 AM
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#324
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Member Group: Members Posts: 267 Joined: 5-February 06 Member No.: 675 |
According to Webster, there is dual meaning in the term geology. The term is useful to describe a person studing rocks on another planet. Since this thread doesn't seem like it's dying, let me give it a bit more sustenance. In Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon, the root for geology, Γή, has several meanings: 1. Earth, opposed to heaven, or land, opposed to sea. 2. Earth, as an element, opposed to air, water, fire. II. A land or country. III. The earth or ground as tilled. IV. A lump of earth. Looking from a strict etymological point of view, it seems that most of these meanings of the Greek root, and particularly the last two, free us from any planetary restrictions on geology. Steve |
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Jun 20 2007, 05:21 AM
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#325
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2228 Joined: 1-December 04 From: Marble Falls, Texas, USA Member No.: 116 |
Agreed, unless you want to try to define an Internet geologist.
-------------------- ...Tom
I'm not a Space Fan, I'm a Space Exploration Enthusiast. |
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Jun 23 2007, 06:22 PM
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#326
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2820 Joined: 22-April 05 From: Ridderkerk, Netherlands Member No.: 353 |
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Jun 24 2007, 05:58 AM
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#327
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1887 Joined: 20-November 04 From: Iowa Member No.: 110 |
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Jun 24 2007, 02:03 PM
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#328
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Solar System Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 10151 Joined: 5-April 05 From: Canada Member No.: 227 |
-------------------- ... because the Solar System ain't gonna map itself.
Also to be found posting similar content on https://mastodon.social/@PhilStooke Maps for download (free PD: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...Cartography.pdf NOTE: everything created by me which I post on UMSF is considered to be in the public domain (NOT CC, public domain) |
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Jun 25 2007, 06:51 AM
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#329
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 4279 Joined: 19-April 05 From: .br at .es Member No.: 253 |
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Aug 29 2007, 07:34 AM
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#330
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 4279 Joined: 19-April 05 From: .br at .es Member No.: 253 |
Let me "ressurrect" this old thread once again, hopefully for the last time!
Yestersol (sol 1298), Spirit left the area under study since sol 1221 (!) and is currently on the way back, again, to Home Plate. |
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