Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Discovering the 'rock' gene?

Our library just received a copy of Geo Families, a 'geology documentary' - how cool is that!? I haven't watched it yet, probably tomorrow night, but here's the trailer and I'll update this post with a review:



UPDATED 10/29/07:

First, let me state that I enjoyed the movie - a documentary about geologists is a long time coming. I enjoyed the relationships highlighted between these families and the facility they all had with geologic jargon, what a treat! The sense of community, respect, and awe that is instilled in most geologists really shined throughout the movie. There was a real passion displayed by the families that participated in this movie and I think that's typical regardless of discipline. My only complaint is that is that it focuses solely on petroleum/gas geologists. I don't have anything against that discipline, it just perpetuates the myth that 'geologists' seek out and extract resources. A process that is certainly necessary, but not one that fully describes the wide breadth of the science of geology.

Not that I'm offering, but maybe a future documentary could explore the history/evolution of some well-known geologists in their respective fields (Alvarez, Easterbrook, Moores, Atwater, etc. - make your own list) to explore the full spectrum of our field. It would be nice if the general public thought geology involved more than 'looking at rocks' and exploring for oil. :)

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