Re:"star gazers"

["Terry Colvin" <colvint@fhu.disa.mil>]

My humble opinion as a community college student is that GEOGRAPHY is the
all encompassing discipline in the earth sciences.  It seems a hub with spokes
radiating into and "touching" every science.  At least my newly departed
geography professor, Dr. William G. Hanne, always stated such in my physical,
economic, political, and cultural geography classes.

Yep, specialization is great to a certain extent as is generalization.
Polymaths are now the exception rather than the rule as they were in the early
days of science [A.D. 1600-1900].  One fairly comprehensive source for new
material is the bimonthly newsletter, *Science Frontiers*, edited and compiled
by William R. Corliss in his Sourcebook Project.  He also sells books.  The
newsletter is free the first year or $7 and generally free if you buy a book
every year or two.  You know, books like *Forbidden Archaeology ...*.

Regards,
Terry

Terry W. Colvin <colvint@fhu.disa.mil>
Fort Huachuca (Cochise County), Arizona USA
"No editor ever likes the way a story tastes unless he pees
in it first." -Mark Twain


______________________________ Forward Header __________________________________
Subject: Re:"star gazers"
Author:  CALPIN.SHARON@a1.pader.gov at smtp-fhu
Date:    18/01/1996 1012


On Jan. 17, Thomas R. Lipka wrote:

"The en vogue thing today is to "specialize" in some subfield of some 
subdivision of some '_ology'..."

"Personally, I am intensely interested in just about anything 'geo' or 'paleo' 
related."

 I can't imagine a scientist with some degree in the geosciences not 
being interested in several aspects of geology. I always felt it was a shame to 
narrow your focus so much as to miss out on the exciting happenings in other 
disciplines. However, I got the impression from the scientific community that 
the expression "Jack of all trades - Master of none" applied. I was at a loss 
because I had more than one interest.
 I find that, in the real world, dealing with the general public, it 
really pays to have varied interests and knowledge of diverse subjects. People 
can relate to you and you can relate to more people. It doesn't get you the 
designation of "expert" in anything but it helps you keep an open mind and 
possible realize the odd ways that seemingly unrelated things can be connected.


Sharon Calpin
Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection