(remember, to make these up you have 2 weeks from the day you miss. turn in a printed EnviroNews report to me with the date on it that you missed class, as well as the date you turn it in. read the syllabus for details.)
Extra Credit Assignment! Here it is, all the details. And expect that this will be the only extra credit assignment for the entire semester.
Question = Mr. Howell, are you single?
answer: No, I have a wife who teaches middle school science, and
two daughters. I told my wife about this QOD and she said, "Tell
them they can have you." So there you are.
Sample QODs: (from previous students of this course)
Question = Have earthquakes become more destructive and numerous as
of late, or are we just more aware of them? I know that cities and where
we build them factor in, but have they gotten worse in terms of magnitude?
answer: There is an article about this precise
topic in a recent issue of newsweek or time (i forget which). In
a word, no. On average, about 10,000 people die from earthquakes
each year. However, an average is a bit misleading, because sometimes
500 people die and some years 50,000. Back in 1976, over 200,000
people died from one earthquake in China. And the number one cause
of death -- building construction methods are not earthquake resistant.
Whenever we get a couple in a row that hit urban areas, awareness goes
way up. There are many MANY quakes each year... most do little damage
(hit less populated areas).
Hope that helps!
=Paul
Question = Allways been interested in Geology. Ever since i was
a little kid. Hell I would go around all day looking art rocks ect
and bring them back to the house and look at them some more. But
as I got older everyone was like u need to go into medicine/law, etc.
So now i\'m a sophmore in college, majoring in Political Science.
I was wondering if You could give me any feed back on the idea of maybe
doing something with Law and Geology, or maybe Law and Geography?
I was just curious. The other day in class u mentioned that lawyer
sending u an e-mail about the asbestos. Juat thougt you might be
of soem help. Thanks for your time...
answer:
Hi <name>,
There are any number of places where geology and the
law overlap. There are forensic geologists, there are professional geologists
in every field who act as expert witnesses in court cases, and there are
lawyers (and doctors for that matter) who took geology as their undergraduate
major. Geology majors use a tremendous amount of logic, and base
conclusions on scant evidence at times... just like the legal system tends
to do.
The environmental geology field (including both pollution
and hazards) has professionals in every aspect of it interacting with the
legal profession, trying to determine cause and liability related to problems.
The resource geology field (minerals, coal, petroleum) is full of lawyers
and court cases trying to decide who owns how much of what... and the stakes
are usually large.
The GLY 110 class covers aspects of environmental geology...
every topic we will touch has lawyers working in that field. The
GLY 120 class covers resource geology in a similar vein (pun intended).
So keep your ears open
I have a good friend who teaches in the UK Law School
whose undergraduate major is in Chemistry, and his specialty is environmental
law (Michael Healy)... many lawyers come from majors outside the typical
PS and HIS fields, and law school admission boards tend to notice those
applicants just because they're different. And they may be more ready
to understand or appreciate the complexities and subtleties of litigation
in their field when they have a rigorous technical background.
Hope that helps.
=Paul
Question = Mr. Howell, are you single?
answer: No, I have a wife who teaches middle school science, and
two daughters. I told my wife about this QOD and she said, "Tell
them they can have you." So there you are.
update spring '07: i am currently separated from my wife, and we
will soon be divorcing.
Is Jake, the geology TA single?? How old is Jake?
answer: I asked him, and he was noncommittal on both accounts.
Ask him yourself. Oh, and his name isn't "Jake".
Question = What is you favorite rock? I love geodes! Also,
do you have a pet cat? Amen.
answer: laminated cherts of the Monterrey Formation of California,
and a few of the pinker migmatites. I'm allergic to cats, although
they're nice enough, at times.
Question = what is your favorite movie????
answer: Return of the King right now. Princess Bride is my
favorite feel good movie. "You keeled my fahdder. Prepare to
die."
Question = If Ghandi were to be a rock, what kind of rock would he be,
and why?
Your_name = Bill, the roaming gnome
answer: Granite -- highly resistant to weathering by the sands of
time. attractive, whether polished or rough. hard hitting,
when the need arises.
In light of the fact that you are a scientist and married to a
scientist, you all are aware of the imminent energy crisis that we earthlings
face. What kind of car do you drive?
answer: 1995 Honda Odessey minivan (the smallest of the minivans),
and a 1989 Buick LeSabre (donated by in-laws). If scientists made
more money, I would drive a Honda Civic Hybrid, or maybe a Toyota Prius
(my mother drives one of those).
update 2007: the old LeSabre died, we were given a newer one (2000)
to replace it, sorta. but i drive either the minivan or a tiny old
Subaru Outback wagon now.
We were wondering where we could find the Mount Saint Helens Video soundtrack.
It was amazing.
answer: I can't find it either, but there is some very nice
elevator music inspired by the eruption at www.garyjess.com
I hear through the grapevine that you've been put on an allowance. Is
it true?
answer: I wish someone would give me an allowance.
Prof. Howell,
Will you, at some point, discuss your own research and what you do
in the geology field? (or how it may directly affect us in some fashion)
answer: I'll consider that.
Also, how can amateur spelunkes explore the caves on UK\'s campus?
Thanks
answer: Find and join the local Grotto of cave explorers (the
Bluegrass Grotto here in the Lexington area).
Question = Can we please get class off on friday???
Your_name = OPTIONAL: The Entire CLASS!!!!!!!!!
Question = Can you please cancel class for gly 110
Your_name = us
We need friday off for spring break!!!!
Everyone will be gone friday so can we not have class?
Question = Is there any possibility that you could call class off on
friday due to our Spring Break and that many people will be gone and not
able to make it to class anyway.
Your_name = OPTIONAL: Student
Question = Let those kids run free, . Lettem trade soils for sun
tan oils, lettem take a breaks from plate tectonics and enjoy some
plain tonics, lettem run free...........
Your_name = President Lee Todd
answer: President Todd, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I have
to follow the officially published UK academic calendar, so there WILL
be class Friday.
Question = Time can wash the rain and sun can cloud the shade, but can
crickets kill the grasshoppers while trees are blowing in the wind?
Your_name = Little Bunny Foo Foo
answer: Dear Foo. I don't want to see you scooping up the
field mice and bopping them on the head. Signed, the Good Fairy.
Question = i'm not going to be in class today--Did we do anything important?
Your_name = OPTIONAL: Type Your Name and Email address here!
answer: Duh. Actually, being college students, I suspect that
this message (sent without a return address or name) is not only humorous
but is meant specifically to be humorous, especially so if I was to take
it seriously. But I won't. Have a good break.
Question = Professor howell,
I recently read the book "A walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson.
He talked about an underground coal fire burning in Pennsylvania I think,
that had been burning for something like fifty years and is still burning
today. is this true and do you know anything about it
answer: It's true. And it's not an isolated event, there are
many underground coal fires in the U.S., Canada, China and elsewhere, started
carelessly and left burning by ignorance or by bureaucracy. Here's
a good link about the Centralia (PA) underground fire in a coal seam, and
the last resident of the town. (http://www.tnonline.com/archives/mining/part3.html)
Question = for this groundwater homework assignment, you say, "(In class
Monday the 13th)" but you didnt say it was due then? was it due in class
monday???
answer: yes it was.
Question = whats your favorite 'rock' song?
answer: Tough one. Well, it's not "Like a Rock" by Bob
Seeger. Aside from the Chevy/GM/BigOil connotations, I've had two
very bad Bob Seeger experiences in my life. So, that aside, it could
be "Landslide" (Fleetwood Mac), or maybe "Little Earthquakes" (Tori Amos),
or even "By a Waterfall" on the Tadpoles album by The
Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. But... it's not any of those.
My favorite just plain get down rock ballad would be "Another One Bites
The Dust," (Queen), which should have made it into one of the long scenes
of jousting in "A Knight's Tale" along with the other greats therein ("We
will we will rock you..."), but somehow didn't. And for the
really hardcore readers of this page, you can view an AVI movie clip of
the Bonzo Dog Band playing a portion of "By a Waterfall" here
(if your computer can handle it). A formative experience in my
life, I can tell you.
Question = Do you think that guy drove his chevy to the levee for a
reason, or just for a good rhyme? Just wondering.
answer: Inspectors drive to the levee to make sure the water
will hold. Occasionally, geologists drive to the levee to look down
and laugh at the folk living in full trust of the strength of the levees,
and then they drink to the health and prosperity of all concerned.
Everyone else drives to the levee for drink and general merriment, as chronicled
by Don McLean.
*******************************************
*******************************************
*******************************************
*******************************************
=== === === === === === ===
=== FAQs Added Fall 2004 ===
=== === === === === === ===
Questions about the first assignment:
1. I had a couple questions about the assignment due Friday.
May we use an editorial? And you said the article had to be from
the past three months. Would it work if the article was published
in the past three months but the information in the article is about occurences
older than three months? Thanks.
answer: no and no, although there's leeway here for yes and
yes. If it is a really good editorial and or article and it inspires
you to write your own essay that brings new information to light, or you
have a personal stake in the issue that makes your piece really powerful,
then by all means yes and yes. If you have a serious question about
the legitimacy of an article, and you want to include it, then go beyond
the minimum by including it, and also adding another article that clearly
does meet the requirements of the assignment. Especially if you are
trying for the "mastery" level grade.
2. Question = Hello, in reference the to "In the News" writing assignment,
you have said it is to deal with environmental problems. My question is...does
the article have to be about a PROBLEM or can it just be something related
to geology that is not neccesarily a problem. In fact the article
im looking at now is good geology news, not a problem. Thank you.
answer: It should be a problem, or at least an "issue" for
someone. Environmental geology is the intersection of societal needs
and geological reality, and this intersection is NOT a four-way stop, there
are NO stop signs, only go, Go, GO. So a "news" only article may
be informative, but if it doesn't create a problem for anyone, then it's
not really at the intersection in my book.
3. Question = Does an article concerning the pollution of KY waterways
deal with environmental geology?
answer: yes. check the book... are such topics covered in
the book? answer: yes.
General Topics:
Question = Still unable to open the second assignment page. I
see that it has been posted but there seems to be a problem open the link.
answer: Ask someone else, try it from another computer, download
a new browser software, clear your browser cache, ask a geeky friend....
it's a problem on your end, not on mine, sorry.
STUDY TIPS for quizzes and exams:
Question = Is the quiz on wednesday just over the notes?? what all
will it cover?
Question = will you please tell us what we need to study exactly for
the quiz i really need to know cause im am going to fail 2morrow cause
your not doing a good job explain what is going to be on their
answer: No, it is not just over the notes.
As per the syllabus details, you are responsible for:
* materials from the book
* materials from the printed notes
* everything I say in class
So, although the notes provide a good (probably the best) starting
point for what I think is most important, and hence for what I am most
likely to quiz you on, I would NOT, in ANY way, characterize your situation
as "only needing to review the chapter one notes that are on the website."
That's ONLY a starting point for learning these materials.
As far as how deep into the details to study... again, they are all fair game, but in general I will not select very many questions that come from just one bulletted point made on just one overhead slide. Most of my questions come from the issues that I spend the most time on.
My Guarantee: Some of the questions will seem absurdly picky
to some of you. But overall, on every question on the exams, the
majority of you (or at a minimum, a clear plurality) will answer each question
correctly. That is my way of checking to be sure that my questions
are not out of line with the materials offered to you for study.
*** Random stuff ***
Question = Dear Mr. Howell, if ever during the Great Leprechaun Invasion
it was proposed to me that the Leprechauns would spare our planet in exchange
for my pants, should I give them up? I mean, after all, they are my favourite
pants.
Your_name = David Bowie
answer: that's your call -- favorite pants versus salvation of humankind.
kinda tough one. could be tough to wear them if you're gone along
with the rest of humanity. But on the other hand, if everyone else
dies except you, you may need those favorite pants as a kind of security
blanket, to help you cope with the trauma. good luck on that one.
Question = what is your greatest fear?
answer: being discovered.
update:
Question = I dont know if Geologists keep up with politics, but have
you been watching the Republican National Convention? Also do you have
any insights on who you think the next president of the United States of
America should be?
Your_name = Down with Kerry.....and Bush
answer: No, although I listened to some of it on radio.
***New Bathroom Campaign Slogan***: "Vote for
the Johns" (now which side came up with that one?)
answer: "Geologists for Bush" like the current President's unmitigated
stance in favor of opening up more federal lands for petroleum exploration.
"Geologists for Kerry" dislike the current President's unmitigated stance
in opposition to nearly every U.S. environmental improvement over the past
two decades, as well as his stance defending the status quo regarding greenhouse
gas emissions.
Question = IF you could date any actress in Hollywood who would it be,
and why??
answer: You have to make this one multiple choice. I can't
even begin to face this one as an open-ended essay... well, maybe I could.
Not a thoroughly thought out answer here, but Jamie Lee Curtis would be
on the short list. She reminds me of my wife.
Question = How does the Toyota Prius work on part battery and gas. And
how is it able to use less gas and why?
answer: My parents have one! It's great. Brakes waste energy...
all that forward momentum of the car and it gets turned into heat whenever
you put the brakes on. Hybrid cars instead use an ingenious generator
system to turn your braking energy into electricity, which then gets stored
temporarily in a battery. Then the car uses two motors to drive the
car -- one electric, and one gasoline. Since the electric "fuel"
is nearly free, the more the car can run on electricity, and the better
your overall mileage will be. Mom and Dad get about 50 MPG
regularly.
Question = This is more of a comment, and not really a question.
You said today in class that one of your colleauges thought you were crazy
for posting your notes online, but I think it is a great idea and wanted
you to know that we appreciate it! It helps me because I can print
the notes, bring them to class and follow along, and then add points from
your discussions. It also allows me to listen and absorb what you're
talking about versus having to worry about writing down every little detail.
All right, thanks a lot :)
answer: thanks for the vote of support.
Question = if a hurricane and a tornado got in a fight, who do you think
would win?
answer: oh come on, that's too easy. tornados are so tiny
they don't stand a chance. more than one hurricane has spawned storms
that have their own tornadoes, so definitely hurricanes. However,
if I had to choose between a direct hit from a hurricane and a direct hit
from a tornado, I'll take the hurricane any day. Tornadoes can generate
more intense wind shear typically, more local destruction than most hurricanes.
Question = Proff Howell, Just wanted to let you know that I am definetly
not a fan of any kind of science class, but so far I am really enjoying
your class. You always seem like you are in a great mood and really
excited to be teaching. Thanks for your enthusiasm...it really makes
class much more enjoyable!
answer: that's terribly nice of you to say, but I simply can't give
you any brown-nosing points if you don't sign your anonymous letters!
[sheesh, what do they teach kids in schools these days?]
Question = Professor Howell,
I was just wondering, while reading and taking notes from chapter two,
how in depth should we go? I understand that you want us to know the terminology
within the chapter, but how much of the details should we be concerned
with? Will you be going over the details we should know in class?
answer: know everything. that's the short answer.
the longer answer is that you should prioritize your studying according
to the notes I post on the web and the things I say in class about those
notes and about the book and about life in general and environmental geology
in particular, and finally add (to my notes and lectures) the book itself.
It is rare that I ask a factual question that is directly from the book
content but that has NOT also been mentioned in class... but understanding
the book is important because it represents another voice explaining much
of the same material that I explain in class.
Question = In class on Friday you said you would post the grades of
the first homework assignment. Are they up, and i can't find them?
answer: Refresh this page, find the directions that say how to get
to the grades page, and refresh that page too when you get there.
Question = I checked my grade for the first assignment and saw that
I got a "2" when the work I did really should have been a "1" (I didn't
include a map and so forth). Is there a chance that the grades
(or at least mine) were posted wrong? Or is this a mistake in my favor?
answer: It is remotely possible that we messed up your grade
in your favor -- this is not without precedent. It is also reasonably
possible that despite your best efforts to achieve mediocrity, your writing
so exceeded our expectations that you received a better grade than you
bargained for. In either case, I wouldn't bring it to my attention
for a closer look and second opinion.
*******************************************
*******************************************
*******************************************
*******************************************
added 9/14/2004:
Question = Is there any truth to the thought that California could
crack and move away from the rest of North America? I have always heard
people say things about it just cracking off and falling into the sea,
which doesn't seem very likely. But our discussions about plate techtonics
brought the idea into my mind again and I thought I would ask and see what
the real truth is.
answer: Let's cover this one in class. Briefly, No it won't
crack away with a big valley or the ocean between us, not in our lifetimes.
Over a longer time frame though (millions of years), southern California
is on a different plate and is moving a different direction from the rest
of the North American plate, and will move northwestward relative to us.
But the rate is only a few centimeters per year... you may see a total
of 3 meters or so of such movement in one very long lifetime.
Question = Questions for Assignment #2, do you want us to do a
reference page but not put the source in the paper itself? How long does
this exercise have to be? Thanks
answer: Just follow the directions. I don't need a separate
reference page, I need references. If I specify a length, students
waste time reformatting papers to be the right length. Make your
submission long enough to provide a passable answer, or a masterful answer,
as you please. Mastery implies that you have shown us a mastery of
the topic... typically this involves a bit of research on your own and
showing that you have done it through writing with authority.
*******************************************
*******************************************
*******************************************
*******************************************
added 9/15/2004:
Question = Do you find it harder to believe in God, Jesus or Adam and
Eve when there is so much evidence to explain how the world evolved naturally
into the way it is?
answer: Not in the least. It is actually only a small percentage
of Christians who have difficulty with the concept that the Christian Bible
may be "true" and "inerrant" in a doctrinal sense without it also being
factually true and correct in details of scientific fact.
In short, to me and most Christian denominations that are not "fundamentalist"
in belief:
* The Bible provides some "truth" about spiritual matters.
* Science provides some "truth" about factual matters.
This difference is because there are two very different bodies of
knowledge in the world:
* Empirical knowledge, derived from observations, and making
and testing hypotheses about those observations.
* Beliefs, derived from our inward sense of how things should
be, or appear to be.
The trouble happens when people mix up these two bodies of knowledge, and think that they are all one and the same. They are not the same.
Here are some interesting parallels to consider:
1. Chemistry and Alchemy:
Chemistry - an empirical science that studies the elements and how
they combine.
Alchemy - a belief that "base" metals like lead could be transmuted
into "noble" metals like gold.
Much of our early knowledge of chemistry came from alchemists who
began performing experiments to try to determine why they were so unsuccessful
achieving their goal.
2. Astronomy and Astrology:
Astronomy - an empirical study of the stars and planets and other
features of space.
Astrology - a belief that motions and alignments of the planets
and stars guide human destiny.
3. Mathematics and Numerology:
Mathematics - an empirical study of numbers and logical relationships
among numbers.
Numerology - a belief that numbers have intrinsic meanings and such.
Examples: Lucky 7, Unlucky 13, Bad 666.
Religions of all types are inherently belief systems. Any knowlege I have about God, Jesus, Adam and Eve is based on internal beliefs, flavored liberally by study of the Bible and discussions with religious leaders and fellow congregants over the past decades. But study of the Bible is not the same as the study of geology that I undertake.
If I read the Bible, and study it, my purpose is to gain spiritual
insight into the situations I face, or those faced by others.
If I want to learn about the geology of the Red Sea, I don't turn
to the Bible.
Why should I ask God about the rocks? Why should I expect God to want to tell me about the rocks? If God wants to teach me a lesson using rocks, I imagine that God will drop one on my head in an attempt to knock some sense into me.
So, in answer to your question, No. I take spiritual guidance
from the lessons in the Genesis Creation story, from Noah's flood, from
the parting of the Red Sea, and not geological answers. And although
you didn't ask about "Creation Science" per se, I will answer anyway that
a "Science" predicated on a belief is not an empirical science, even if
it can provide some empirical trappings to make it seem like empiricism.
Creation Science is a "Belief Science", not an "Empirical Science", and
hence is best termed "Pseudo-Science".
*******************************************
*******************************************
*******************************************
*******************************************
added 9/26/2004:
Question = You gave the end of the alphabet the hardest one. (editor:
refers to the Asbestos assignment)
I did not. Simplistic answers in opposition to the use of
asbestos were easy to find on the web, but it is actually harder to find
really good, rational arguments against use of asbestos in this particular
case. Many more arguments FOR asbestos use are based on rational
analysis, rather than fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD). Anyway,
grading was not applied in such a way that one side or the other was favored
in any way.
Question = In order to untie your shoes they must already be tied, correct?
in order to unlock a door, it must already be locked, correct? So how do
you make UNsweetened tea?
Good point. I am in agreement and I don't believe it exists,
therefore I never would consider trying to make such a thing. This
is one aspect of life as a Southerner that I find agreeable (sweet tea,
that is). In a related vein, I would ask you: If a vegetarian
eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Question = Hi Paul,
An otherwise enjoyable and thought provoking open discussion on asbestos was ruined today by two individuals in the front right section of the class (two rows back from the projector control console.) Throughout the entire session, the two individuals chatted constantly at a very audible level as well as made wisecracks whenever one of the other classmates was speaking. This was most distractive and not conducive to the learning environment. At one time during the session you gave them the "shhh", which was ineffective in remedying the situation.
The University of Kentucky is a respected institution of higher education. We honestly believe that most of us here are adults wishing to learn. The acts of these two individuals was disrespectful not only to the other students, but to the integrity of you and your lecture. With that said, we are respectfully requesting that the next time the situation arises, you ask them to either keep it quiet or leave the lecture session.
Thank you for your time and have a nice day.
Sincerely, A Few Concerned Students
I apologize for not realizing the extent of this disruption for
you at the time. I will try to be more aware of this situation in
the future.
Question = I was reading through all your Q's & A's and I just wanted
to thank you for providing your students with such an advantage.
Things like this allow us, as students, to get to know you better and learn
more from your class than if you didn't provide this opprotunity.
I haven't used this yet, but I know I will be soon. Thanks in advance
for your answer!
You're very welcome!
Question = where were u born? What is your middle name?
What is one of your most embarrassing moments?
I was too little, I don't remember. David. Being
called "Donny Osmond" by some of the cuter girls in my classes.
Question = Will the exams be during class hours?
Yep.
Question = If we did not turn in the Asbestos Writing Assignment on
Friday can we still turn it in for 1 point like assignment 1?
Your_name = I. B. Student
Nope.
Question = What do you REALLY think about Univ. of KY football, how
are they doing so far, and what will their end of the year record be?
"We're in a rebuilding phase." If we make it to 50% it will
be a successful year.
Question = After reading "Wildcat Weekly" in the "did you know. . ."
section and I was just wondering if you believe this to be true.
It reads "In 10 minutes, a hurricane releases more energy than all the
world's nuclear weapons combined (11)" Sounds too much to fathom.
Thanks!
Not exactly. In 20 minutes, a hurricane releases about as
much energy as one 10-megaton nuclear bomb. (reference
from NOAA)
Question = i watched a show on tv about supervolcanoes. are they really
a threat to anyone at any near time?
Big volcanic eruptions are dangerous. REALLY big ones are
more dangerous. We'll study these in our next chapter. I didn't
see the TV show in question, but in short, it could happen, but don't lose
sleep over it.
Question = You Rock ha ha
Heh heh. Go study.
******************
New Questions in November:
******************
Question = Is Hawaii going to have new islands within the nest 100
yrs. I heard that there were and people are already starting to buy property.
is this fact or myth?
Your_name = concerned citizen
Nope. The next seamount is still a considerable depth below
sea level. You are VERY unlikely to have even great-grandchildren
able to buy this property.
Question = Is Hawaii the biggest (underwater) mountain in the world?
Probably. It's hard to answer that exactly; depends on what
you mean by "biggest". The island of Hawaii (including its underwater
portion) does claim title to the largest volcano on earth.
Question = Have you ever been told you kind of sound like Kermit the
frog?
Your_name = Miss Piggy
No.
Question = I dont believe in dinosaurs. They were never in the
Bible and no human has ever seen them. Who knows if the "fossils"
were man made or just happen to be bones from many other animals or reptiles
that were formed together to make a larger animal that we call dinosaurs.
Do you agree?
Arggh. More on this topic later.
Question = How many licks does it take to get to the epicenter of a
tootsie roll pop?
Your_name = Mr. Owl
Tootsie pops do not have epicenters, epicenters are on the OUTSIDE
of oblate spheroids, not on the inside. So the answer is either None,
or Unanswerable.
Question = Are you voting for John Kerry too?
No comment.
Question = I know that the Funkhouser Building is older than some of
the buildings on campus but our classroom has got some major slope problems.
I noticed it more on the side close to the wall. Is it just because
it is set up like a theater? Just wondering. Thanks
I think 90% of it is that it is set up like a theatre.
Question = Just wondering if you had ever seen the movie Day After Tomorrow.
It is a gr8 flick with awesome computer generated effects. I know
this is just a movie but I didn't know if this is even possible for the
climate to change so drastically, such as 10 degrees per second and for
it to ever be 150 degrees below 0.
We'll cover some of those issues in the last two weeks of class.
In short, it is incredibly unlikely (that's as close as I usually get to
saying NEVER).
Question = I was reading through some of the questions of the day and
I noticed a question concerning how the earth was created. Concerning
the truths of the Bible;I was wondering if you knew of any books that compared
these facts. I have recently been exploring my religious beliefs
and I appreciate facts.
Hmmm... Coming back to this topic soon.
Question = Dear Howell and Students, For those interested in exploring
the often misunderstood view of Creationism, i found a really good link/site
that explains it in fun-to read terms. Mr. Howell, please post this for
people to go to if they wish: Jack
Chick's "Big Daddy" comic (http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0055/0055_01.asp)
Indeed, the "Big Daddy" comic by Jack Chick is fun to read.
But it has plenty (PLENTY!) of misleading information. I like the
characterization of the sweating scientist, looks just like me.
The writings of Mr. Chick are not of a scientific or logical nature, but rather are designed to propel all the known fallacies of modern rhetoric toward impressionable people, and hope that one or two of these, like pellets from a shotgun blast, will find their mark and make a new Fundamentalist of their target.
Mr. Chick uses name-calling, straw men arguments, guilt by association and other common fallacies to make his points, but the worst is his (and most Creationists) use of evidence that does not exist (or has been discredited for this usage), and the ignoring of the very large bodies of solid evidence that truly do exist. He claims repeatedly that scientists use Evidence A or Evidence B to support the case of evolution, when in fact Evidences A and B are not used as evidence by today's scientists at all, while the real Evidences C, D, E and on through Z and far beyond go unmentioned and unchallenged.
Here is a good listing and explanation of Fallacies that you may
find helpful:
Explanation
of types of fallacies (http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/)
I wish that I did not find Mr. Chick's writings so humorous.
That is the main reason I agreed to link this "Big Daddy" comic strip here...
for comic relief. If instead of finding him humorous, you are annoyed
that I have wasted your time, perhaps you will instead enjoy this link:
"Who's your Daddy?"
A parody of Jack Chick's Big Daddy comic (http://www.freewebs.com/phineasbg/)
"Who's your Daddy" is another comic on evolution, making a parody of the very characters in the "Big Daddy" comic strip and positing instead what might have occurred if the "professor" in this story had not been so patently pathetic and incapable of discourse on evidence supporting evolution. This comic goes perhaps too far, and pokes fun at Christianity itself... but this is no further than the estimable Mr. Chick goes in making monkeys of earnest and dedicated scientists who use the facts of evolution daily in seeking to find medical answers to the difficult problems of disease in our world. I find both comics funny, and the entire topic of Creationism and Evolution deadly serious. I like Dilbert and the Far Side and Doonesbury too, and desperately miss Calvin and Hobbes and Bloom County.
Here are several more links to articles that dissemble various points
of Mr. Chick's arguments in the "Big Daddy" comic.
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/bigdaddy.html
http://www.loxosceles.org/archives/2001-01.shtml
http://www.angelfire.com/ak4/ratman/Chick.html
On the other side, you may enjoy reading more Creationist literature,
such as the "Answers in Genesis" website. Again, the purpose of this
site is to promote Christian belief, and specifically to "uphold the authority
of the Bible", not to present unbiased scientific thought. In short,
Answers in Genesis wants you to believe in an authoritative voice (the
Bible) rather than to seek answers through empirical investigation and
reason. I can't wait for the museum to open.
Answers in Genesis (http://www.answersingenesis.org/)
And back again to the other side, here's a couple more good sites
about Creation/Evolution:
Talk.Origins Archive - Exploring
the Evolution/Creation Controversy (http://www.talkorigins.org/)
The Panda's Thumb (http://www.pandasthumb.org/)
******************
next few added December 2004
******************
Question = How long does it usually take for you to respond to emails?
It's been awhile...
Your_name = [not given]
Answer: If you include your email address, I usually respond
quite quickly. I have no idea what question you are referring to.
Question = Just wondering what in the hell is "figgy pudding"?
Answer: Use google to find out. type the following into google's
search box (INCLUDING the quotes around "figgy pudding"):
"figgy pudding" definition
I found this:
The simple fruit pudding is of English origin.
It's generally made of figs, raisins, dates and nuts,
and adorned with spices. Often, the fruit is
marinated in wine for preservation's sake.
******************
New Questions of the Day (QoD) for Spring 2005)
******************
Question = Hi, if I got an earlier edition (like 2nd or 3rd edition)
of our textbook "Geology and the Environment," will it handicap me? Does
it have to be the 4th edition, because the earlier editions are so much
cheaper on eBay.
Answer: You take your chances. It turns out the third
edition is pretty similar, and you can get by, and you can come by my office
hours and compare with the 4th edition if you want, but it's your call.
I won't sanction it by saying "YES" because I'm teaching based on the 4th
edition. That's why they're cheaper on eBay.
Added Feb 2005:
Question = Why did the vandals take the pump handle?
Answer: The answer is blowing in the wind.
Question = Where can we find additional information about the trip to
Belize for Spring Break?
Answer: Email the trip leader, Dr. Frank Ettensohn (fettens@uky.edu).
Question = If you where a hotdog, would you eat yourself?
Your_name = Billy The Taco
Answer: Doubtful.
Question = Professor Howell, I just wanted you to know that I
accidentally fell asleep two classes in a row-and it is NOT because you
are boring! You are so interesting and I love your class. I
have an 8 o'clock and I still haven't quite mastered the going to bed early
thing...anyway, I'm sorry and I'll try to stay alert this week!
Answer: Not a question. Next!
Question = How much exactly is two shakes of a lamb tail?
Answer: Two.
Question = I am from the Applachian Mountains and understand we have
lots of soft coal. Soft coal unlike the coal in Penn. and WV is very
high in sulfur. I know Sulfer can be reduced paybe 98% if mixed crushed
up with Limestone. People say this will be to expensive but do you
think our Government will ever cut the sulfur down or just keep putting
money in their pockets from the owners and keep with low standards.
Answer: Hi Seth,
That's a difficult question.. I'll try to address
a couple parts of it, but it might not help enough. There are, however,
several very knowledgeable coal geologists on campus at the Kentucky Geological
Survey, and I'd be happy to steer you toward them if you'd really like
more information.
1. Yes we do have some high sulfur coal, and some low sulfur coal -- hardness of the coal is not necessarily directly related to sulfur content, however.
2. Your real question makes it sound like a government conspiracy... and there's no big pots of money passing through government hands to create such a problem. The processes of sulfur scrubbing are more complicated than simply mixing sulfur with limestone before burning it... and this is taking place in our coal-fired powerplants, and makes electricity more expensive (to the consumers) where it has to be performed, but does not make it any more profitable to the power companies. And it does help improve air quality significantly.
But your question implies that somehow the government is making money
by NOT implementing more restrictive rules on sulfur in coals... and I
don't know how that might work. Can you give me any more specifics
on this? Who are "the owners" whose money is going to the government
because of these low standards? And what low standards exactly are
you talking about? Or is it just a perception you have about
the way things work?
Question = Why’d you come in here lookin’ like that?
In your cowboy boots and your painted-on jeans!
All decked out like a cowgirl’s dream!
Why’d you come in here looking like that?
Answer: Not a question. Next! (hmm,
who wrote this one? oh well)
Question = Hey Prof Howell! I just wondered what your favorite
food is. Mine is oatmeal, yum! You look like a lasagna kind of guy.
Or maybe easy mac, shew I just don't know! :-)
Answer: Pizza. Current favorite (next to homemade) is
probably the Garden of Eatin' at Pazzos.
Question = Don't forget to put up the rest of the notes on the hydro
cycle! Thanks
Answer: I appreciate the reminder.
Question = When will our test be?
Answer: Read your syllabus, supplemented by announcements
on this webpage.
Question = I have heard that the oldest place on the earth is Mt. Roriama
in Venezuela. Is this true? if so, would that make the Appalachian
Mtns. some of they oldest land on earth because of the connection
back when it was Pangea? I think I spelled that right.
Answer: Not true. Venezuela's Mount Roriama was featured
in a recent movie, "Lost Worlds - Life in the Balance". I suspect
this rumor comes from a misunderstood statement made there (I have not
seen the movie). These are very likely to be terribly old rocks,
as rocks go.
Question = It was onced believed and maybe still that pangia existed;
when all the continents were one form, if i am not mistaken. So my
question is, if pangia maybe true then can the divergence of plate tetonics
pull apart the lands that we live on now creating more islands or new continents
from old ones?
Answer: It isn't a matter of "belief" -- belief is for religions
and other bodies of knowledge not addressable through empirical data collection
(science). Pangaea (there are several spellings of Pangaea, although
I've never seen yours used) is very, very well established in geologic
history as a factual supercontinent.
But to answer your question directly, (1) yes
it is possible that further rifting of continental areas will fragment
the continents even more than they are now, but (2) at the same time, there
is ongoing consolidation of continents as continents collide with each
other. An example of #1: the Red Sea divergence separating the Arabian
peninsula from Africa. An example of #2: the subcontinent of India
colliding with Asia.
Prediction into the future is always difficult,
but I stand here ready to predict with perfect 100% accuracy that there
will DEFINITELY NOT be any newly rifted continents appearing within your
lifetime. Some further movement along existing plate boundaries,
certainly, but no NEW oceanic rifts will appear within any known continents
during the remainder of this century, or even the next... in case you live
that long. My guarantee. Or your tuition money back.
Question = Prof Howell - I have two questions for you. First of
all, I just wanted to say how interesting the town meeting was today.
It's nice to have a spin on class once in a while!
Ok, do we have another assignment due Friday?
For some reason, in my planner, I have that an Asbestos paper is due then.
Are we supposed to type more on the subject? I'm confused!
Here's the other question: my roommates and I were
discussing the Bermuda Triangle over the weekend (I have no clue how we
got on the subject! haha). I was wondering why people and ships seem
to "disappear" around there. That's just so strange!
Thanks a bunch prof!
Answer: Glad you liked the Asbestos meeting. I did too.
No, no other assignments due, sorry for the confusion.
Bermuda Triangle: Aliens. It's all aliens. Definitely.
Next!
Question = Mr. Howell, do you believe in bigfoot? a.k.a. sasquatch
Answer: See answers regarding "belief" just above and up about September
2004. Next!
Question = If we missed the Feb 2, in-class homework assignment thingy,
will it have a huge impact on our grade? Will I be able to bring my grade
back up?
Answer: Regarding grades... homework definitely counts. As
per the syllabus, it counts for about 1/3 of your grade.... given
that we're going to have about 5 writing assigments worth 5 points apiece,
I think that leaves room for about 9 points worth of attendance grades
(like the quiz we had, and the Town Meeting on asbestos). So... you
do the math and see how much it hurts to miss assignments.
Question = not a question so much as a comment, i recently watched the
doucumentary on the discovery channel about Pompeii and i thought it was
really interesting that the US Navel base stationed there, at the base
of Mt. Vesuvious (sp?) thought that if they and the residents of the area
would be fine in the case of an erruption if they had supplied thier homes
with enough food and water for 3 or 4 days, untill the disaster subsided,
even though geologists in the region told them it would be a complete devestation
of the area for atleast 15 miles out or more. the ignorance
of some people never seems to surprise me.
Answer: Doesn't surprise me either. Makes me sad, then angry,
then drunk, then happy. Or not. But it doesn't surprise me.
Question = I don't agree with your grading system. To get the 5 points
you have to fulfill more demands than the assignment itself demands, why
not just include those extra requirements in the assignment? Or give those
who do the extras, extra credit? Doesn't that make more sense?
Answer: I don't know if it makes more sense. What I use is
a type of "contract" grading. By specifying different expectations
for different grades, I let you choose what grade you really want to try
for. I think an "A" grade deserves a special effort, so I ask for
a special effort up front, where you can see what it is instead of guessing
how good it has to be. Funny thing is, by doing it this way I find
that I get: (1) more "A" papers than I ever got before, and (2) fewer complaints,
because students know what they need to do. So... I think this approach
makes good sense.
Question = Dr. Howell, I noticed that in class you've made a few references
to guitar that I figured meant you play. If I'm correct, I just wanted
to ask a few things about it, as I'm always interested in anyone else who
plays the instrument. You seem like an acoustic kind of guy- is that
correct? I also wanted to know about what you like to play.
Personally, I'm in a big solo acoustic kick right now. I'm working
on some of the standards, "Classical Gas" and the like, and also trying
some new stuff from really amazing guitarists like Justin King. Check
out www.justingking.com if you're interested. Right now I'm in the
stages of very badly trying to play the song "Phunkdified," a video of
which is on the website. There's a Videos link in the bottom left
of that site, Phunkdified is the "Larivee Clip" or something like that.
I hope I don't sound stalkerish or anything, but I think it's really interesting
to find what kind of music different generations prefer to play.
If I'm totally off-base and you don't play I apologize. Thanks a
lot Dr. Howell.
Answer: Man, you pegged me. I've been breaking strings on
acoustic guitars for about 30 years now. I play badly, for no one's
enjoyment but my own, and I don't even like me that much. Keep on
keepin on dude.
Question = What is a reasonable amount of time we should expect our
grades to be posted on the grades.html page?
Answer: A week, plus one more day. This is a big class.
Question = If the moon was made out of spare ribs would you eat it?
Answer: No. Spare ribs are a bit too fatty for me to
enjoy that much of them. At one sitting anyway.
Question = I need help making a life altering decision, your help on
this question may jus changes lifes. Do cumbers taste better pickled?
Answer: No. Pickling is a leftover mistake from a period
when preserving foods was imperative for survival. Pickles don't
really taste good, we just pretend that they do. When I cook for
my kids, I often make mistakes with the recipes. The result doesn't
taste very good. But I pretend that it does! And try to convince
them that it does, and sometimes it works! That's how we came to
have pickles. Fresh food rocks. That's one of the most wonderful
changes that has taken place in my lifetime, the change from having fresh
fruit and vegetables readily available ONLY in the spring-summer-fall to
having a truly incredible variety available year-round in the grocery.
So fresh foods altered my life -- your turn. Good luck.
Question = I was just wondering what religion you are? If your not comfortable
answering I understand.
Answer: (from the "More than you wanted to know" Department)
Big category: Christian.
Subcategory: Catholic.
Degree to which my personal beliefs closely match those
of my church: maybe 40%.
Are there other religions that I might find a better
fit: Very likely.
Reason for not switching: Family, friends, general
lack of benefit to switching.
******************
Added March 1 2005:
******************
Question = Are there records how large the tsunami that occurred when
the asteroid hit the area that is now the Yucatan peninsula?
Answer: Not exactly records. It's very difficult to
say how big, but there ARE definitely records of this. The Gulf coast
of the U.S. in particular has some highly erosional boundary surface exposures,
with fairly chaotic deposits of sediment above... in contrast, there were
only a few areas in the recent tsunami disaster that had very significant
(deep) erosion of sediment.
Question = If you could be either surface, primary, or secondary wave
which would you be? If Surface, is it because you like to shake things
up? Primary cause you are fast and dont like to be seen or even secondary
to let everyone know something about to go down?
Your_name = Located in the 11 o\'clock back row.
Answer: Surface, definitely. Good question.
Question = Two questions: First, what type of volcano is associated
with tsunamis? Second, which is more silica-rich and associated with stratovolcanoes;
pyroclastic flow or lahar?
Answer: (1) The more explosive the volcanic eruption is, the more
likely that there might be a tsunami associated with that eruption.
Hence, this would be the silica-rich stratovolcanoes. (2) Both pyroclastic
flows and lahars depend largely on the presence of pyroclasts, and these
are predominant with the more silica-rich stratovolcanoes.
Question = Two part question: Why can't I stand my roommate's
boyfriend; and is there somewhere in the U.S. where he could just go and
disappear? (Just out of curiosity. P.S. I'm not crazy, this
guy is just a nasty waste of time!)
Answers: (1) Maybe because you have a crush on your roommate?
Get a life... and a new roommate. (2) Disappearing places...
depends on the size of the roommate. Alligators have their limits,
and their tastes to consider, especially if he's really as nasty as you
seem to think. (P.S.) Oh yes you are. You don't fool
me.
( ps. i'm kidding! on all counts! really!
)
Question = When are we going to find out our grades from the first exam?
Answer: When I get the mess of names randomly misfilled straightened
out, and the late test takers straightened in, and due consideration is
given to the questions that many students missed. Never less than
one week, never more than two.
Question = re: the "Why’d you come in here lookin’ like that?" question,
to which you answered:
Answer: Not a question. Next! (hmm, who
wrote this one? oh well)
The answer my friend would be Dolly Parton in the
early 80's probably the biggest hit coming out of the Post Kenny Rogers
period. The song is " Why'd you come in here looking like that"
My Question: If you see a hot girl, is that the magma in your body
that tingles you?
Your_name = Chigger Hall
Answer: Chigger, you misinterpreted me. I was wondering not
who wrote such lyrics (I could google that), but rather who would submit
that question/lyric to me, and why? Dolly Parton wasn't singing it
to me, but whoever submitted it anonymously to me *might* have been.
Enquiring minds want to know! Or not. A little knowledge is
a dangerous thing. And I don't wear cowboy boots.
(2) No, not magma. When you get "the hots" for someone, this
is primarily a physicochemical reaction in your brain, which remains in
the neighborhood of a relatively mild 98 deg Farenheit.
******************
Added March 28, 2005:
******************
Question = Am i missing something or is there no link to any grade page?
Your_name = Confused
Answer: Dear Confused, Please re-read the instructions.
There is no link, you have to type in grades.html after the URL for the
home page. I didn't want the grade sheet stored in any search engine
databases. There is no link because Google and other search engines
follow links and index those pages, but they do not follow word instructions.
Even students have trouble with those.
Question = Is Hawaii a stratovolcano?
Answer: Nope. Read either the textbook chapter or your notes
for fuller details, or even both.
Question = If you were a type of asbestos what type would you be?
Your_name = The nice little asbestos monster that watches you during
class
Answer: The Bad kind. Well, maybe more precisely a
skinny twisted (kinky?) kind that isn't inherently bad, but given the right
(wrong) situation may well be bad.
Question = If the earth was a blowpop how many licks do you think it
would take to get to the center?
Your_name = Cookie Monster
Answer: Dear Kooky, The shortcut method would involve
NOT licking all the way around, but licking a tunnel straight down to the
center. This would significant reduce the amount of licks compared
to a more conventional approach. In fact, the net reduction in number
of licks is proportional to the ratio between the diameter of the tunnel
and the diameter of the earth... not linearly proportional, of course,
but geometrically. I won't calculate a precise number because of
the unstated variables in your question (composition of the blowpop, size
of the licker's tongue, whether the "center" is the geographic center or
the "core" of the earth or a fictitious "tootsie" core, etc), but suffice
it to say that even a very large and cunning team of lickers would have
a hard time pulling off this stunt within any reasonable length of time.
But then again, who would ever be in a hurry with such a delicious endeavor?
Question = I'm still interested in what you think a reasonable time
for assignments to be returned/graded is. Correct me if I'm wrong,
but I'm still not seeing the volcano writing assignment grades on the webpage.
Granted I missed class on Monday, so if you mentioned something about the
assignment, I apologize. Thanks.
Answer: Sorry, it did take an extra couple days to get the
Volcano grades plus all the little attendance grades into the spreadsheet
and posted, but they are up there now.
Question = where are the tsunami notes?
Answer: Where the link to them says that they are. Is this
a trick question? Do you need to refresh your browser to get the
latest copy of the home page?
******************
Added Spring Semester, 2006:
******************
Question = How much should we write for Assignment #1? Thanks.
Answer: I didn't say, did I? That's because I want you to
figure out how long it should be. According to my addition, for someone
attempting to get FULL 10/10 points credit, if you write 2 paragraphs for
each reason and include 5 reasons, plus referencing, your assignment would
be at least 2-3 pages long. As always, YMMV.
Question = I might just be dumb but YMMV???
Answer: google for YMMV: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=YMMV
Question = If you had the choice between being the top scientist in
your field or having mad cow disease...which would you choose?
Answer: Tough question. I hate either/or decisions, and usually
find a way to choose Door Number Three. In this case, I would choose
both, because then I could work really hard and win lots of accolades as
Alpha Geek Scientist Dude, and then win the Sympathy Vote for coming down
with mad cow disease, and I could ease up on the workload and still be
a hero. Plus, there's lots of great Mad Cow jokes I could make in
class and nobody would get mad at me for being "insensitive". I always
hate that. Doubleplus, with Mad Cow I could do all kinds of crazy
stuff and get away with it and nobody would get mad at me because "he has
that condition, you know". Best would be if I could be smart enough
to cross disciplines and be a great scientist solving Mad Cow disease too,
but by then my brain would probably be pretty spongy and porous and not
work too well, so I wouldn't count on that one. And finally, after
I died, I'd probably get some pretty good obits written about me.
I guess that wasn't such a tough question after all.
Question = I actually have two questions! The first one is regarding
the exams. Will the questions be similiar to the quiz we had in class?
Answer: Yes, basically. Some of those questions were
from previous exams and quizzes.
Question = The other questions is regarding to Chapter one notes.
As I was looking back over them, I was looking at the difference between
pollution and waste. Waste can be reused if it is cost-effective.
What would be an example of this? CO2? What would be an example
of something that is strictly pollution? Thanks so much and have
a great day
Answer: The example I gave in class was a lead mining company
in Tennessee that mined lead ore called Galena that is a lead sulfide mineral,
chemical formula PbS (lead and sulfur). When processed to extract
the lead, it released tons of SO4 (sulfate) ions, that turns to sulfuric
acid in the atmosphere... waste becoming pollution. Later, they found
that they could trap the sulfate and produce high grade sulfuric acid and
sell that, instead of releasing it as waste.
CO2 right now CAN BE used for several different industrial processes,
but it is costly to extract it from the exhaust fumes... as is nearly always
the case, it is cost that makes most chemicals into waste instead of products.
And you have a good day too!
Question = Do you allow the use of laptops for notetaking in class?
Answer: Yes. I think I may even allow the use of laptops as
part of the open-book portion of the exam. (not that I think it will help
too much for the questions that really matter)
Question = Why do the numbers on phones go down while the numbers on
calculators go up?
Answer: No idea. So I'll google that too. And this answer
makes the most sense to me, although that doesn't make it correct. http://www.thealmightyguru.com/AskAGuru/2004-04.html
Question = Are we going on any field trips, or are they reserved for
your other classes?
Answer: Not everyone, certainly, although if we get a good
rainstorm during our section on flooding we may go outside for a few minutes,
or for slope stability to look at soil creep. I may make a short
field trip where we go visit the sinkholes by the library. As for
my out of town field trip, those are definitely limited to smaller numbers
of students, although I commonly announce upcoming one-day trips on the
off chance that one of you wants to come along. Non-geology-majors
have accompanied us on several longer (weekish) field trips as well.
Question = If Noah really did get all the animals on the arc then how
did he keep the lions and tigers and bears(Oh My)from first eating him
and then eating each other?
Your_name = Mr. Know-nothing cuzin to Mr. Know-it-all
Answer: Tough one. Not a scientific question, since
answering it relies on a belief in authoritative writings rather than in
empirical data gathering, but I might try anyway. And here those
authoritative writings don't help us, because they don't mention any details
about this topic of crowd control. One possibility, suggested by
certain creationists that I've read, is that Noah might have taken along
many of the more dangerous creatures (including the dinosaurs, of course)
as eggs and or as young cubs, to minimize this problem. Also, if
they could build that ark, they could build cages, so this is really not
that tough a question.
******************
Added Fall Semester, 2006:
******************
Question = i know this may not relate to class but you have said to
ask you questions that relate or they don't relate so here goes "If you
had to play a game of your choice with the devil for your soul....what
game would you pick and why?"
Answer: A game of chance. The way I see it, the only way that I
would be stuck in this situation is if I'd already lost my soul, and was
trying to win it back, and for some dumb reason the Devil agreed to do
so. I can't believe the Devil would allow himself to lose in a game of
skill, so I would only be interested in a game of pure chance, like a coin
toss. I did some research for this question too (just typed the whole question
into Google) and found this interesting story: Dealing with the Devil.
I do hope that you haven't gotten yourself into any trouble, and that you
are not asking me for advice... this is not a particularly good topic about
which to seek advice from either a geologist or a professor.
Question = The lines are open, operators are standing by...