On Friday, June 13, 2003, at 07:41 AM, tdick wrote:
> Am I imagining this -- do the college professors look down on the=20
> amateur seismologist and avoid helping them?=A0Maybe I am just =
paranoid!=20
> They give me the impression that they are too busy to be bothered. Are=20=

> there some that are more=A0helpful than others?

It also depends what you are asking, or what topic you want to speak=20
about. Most profs in seismology have far less understanding of seismic=20=

instrumentation than the PSN people...they ordinarily just buy one, and=20=

it works (usually). Electrical circuits, etc. are mostly off limits. So=20=

talking about instrumentation is usually less interesting, since they=20
are more involved in the science side of things. You'll find them much=20=

more receptive to some of these latter topics.

Some profs are very good with PR, and some are not, as you noted.=20
They're just people like anyone else. And they're usually busy, like=20
everyone else. I know that I am some what less enthusiastic to begin a=20=

tangential discussion with somebody while I am in the midst of thinking=20=

about something else that has captured my interest...its the nature of=20=

the business that you don't get a whole lot of chances for good short=20
term accomplishment, due to the long term nature of scientific=20
research, and so you have a feeling of always being behind, needing to=20=

catch up, etc..

This field really needs amateur contributions. But the learning curve=20
is very steep in this case, and as you all know, the instrumentation is=20=

not trivial. As an example, consider astronomy...many discoveries of=20
comets, etc., come from amateurs (e.g. Hale-Bopp)...however it is much=20=

easier to point a telescope than it is to set up your own seismograph=20
and begin interpreting the wiggly lines as something useful.

Those in the US will see a dramatic increase in the next few years of=20
interest in seismology and outreach efforts in schools, as part of the=20=

newly funded "Earthscope" project. This is a major undertaking, and=20
took a lot of lobbying effort in congress to get through. For those who=20=

aren't familiar with this project, part of it will be a very high=20
density array that will leap frog through the entire US, and may=20
include ocean bottom seismos as well to get data off the coast.=20
Proposals on some initial seismic lines are already being prepared, and=20=

will be submitted very soon. We have jumped on board one such proposal,=20=

that will include a seismic line from the Mojave across the Col plateau=20=

and then to the Rio Grande rift. But again, we are mostly interested in=20=

what the devil is going on with the plateau and trying to image=20
convective flows in the mantle...our only interest in the seismic=20
instrumentation is that it works.

Cheers!
John
On Friday, June 13, 2003, at 07:41 AM, tdick wrote:

ArialAm I imagining this
-- do the college professors look down on the amateur seismologist and
avoid helping them?=A0Maybe I am just paranoid! They give me the
impression that they are too busy to be bothered. Are there some that
are more=A0helpful than others?



It also depends what you are asking, or what topic you want to speak
about. Most profs in seismology have far less understanding of seismic
instrumentation than the PSN people...they ordinarily just buy one,
and it works (usually). Electrical circuits, etc. are mostly off
limits. So talking about instrumentation is usually less interesting,
since they are more involved in the science side of things. You'll
find them much more receptive to some of these latter topics.


Some profs are very good with PR, and some are not, as you noted.
They're just people like anyone else. And they're usually busy, like
everyone else. I know that I am some what less enthusiastic to begin a
tangential discussion with somebody while I am in the midst of
thinking about something else that has captured my interest...its the
nature of the business that you don't get a whole lot of chances for
good short term accomplishment, due to the long term nature of
scientific research, and so you have a feeling of always being behind,
needing to catch up, etc..


This field really needs amateur contributions. But the learning curve
is very steep in this case, and as you all know, the instrumentation
is not trivial. As an example, consider astronomy...many discoveries
of comets, etc., come from amateurs (e.g. Hale-Bopp)...however it is
much easier to point a telescope than it is to set up your own
seismograph and begin interpreting the wiggly lines as something
useful.


Those in the US will see a dramatic increase in the next few years of
interest in seismology and outreach efforts in schools, as part of the
newly funded "Earthscope" project. This is a major undertaking, and
took a lot of lobbying effort in congress to get through. For those
who aren't familiar with this project, part of it will be a very high
density array that will leap frog through the entire US, and may
include ocean bottom seismos as well to get data off the coast.
Proposals on some initial seismic lines are already being prepared,
and will be submitted very soon. We have jumped on board one such
proposal, that will include a seismic line from the Mojave across the
Col plateau and then to the Rio Grande rift. But again, we are mostly
interested in what the devil is going on with the plateau and trying
to image convective flows in the mantle...our only interest in the
seismic instrumentation is that it works.


Cheers!

John