The last post from China

sclayton June 1, 2011
Today I saw what I hadn’t seen previously during my week in Chengdu: blue sky. Yes, there was rain for the past two days, but at other times the sky is usually covered by a haze of industrial pollution so … Continue reading →
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A gecko’s end

Mark Wilson May 31, 2011
MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL–What is Will examining so intently? There was drama on the outcrop this afternoon. We are used to seeing cute little geckos clinging to the rocks we study. As we skirted the edge of a limestone cliff, Will … Continue reading →
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Final Reflections: Onions and Monumental Sculpture

pfrese May 31, 2011
“Tourism is often distorted and skewed in favour of the (relative) rich and powerful, whose interests control the destiny of many local communities as well as exerting a pervasive symbolic influence over toured cultures and ways of life” (S. Wearing, … Continue reading →
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The panda page

sclayton May 31, 2011
I had to include one!  Looking at it dispassionately, surely pandas are an evolutionary frivolity. It takes a lot of bamboo to keep a panda happy. But it’s hard to name an animal that inspires more affection than this one. … Continue reading →
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Wooster Geologists at the Siege of Lachish (2700 years later)

Mark Wilson May 30, 2011
MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL–Every time I visit the British Museum in London, I examine the fascinating relief from Nineveh showing The Siege of Lachish. The detail is extraordinary as the story is told in sequence through dozens of panels. It is … Continue reading →
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Wooster Geologists at the Center of the World

Mark Wilson May 30, 2011
Our visit to Jerusalem was to meet geologists at the Geological Survey of Israel main complex in the western part of the city. Those discussions went very well and we met new people and learned much. Will and I also … Continue reading →
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Wooster Geologists return to the Dead Sea

Mark Wilson May 30, 2011
MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL–Today Will and I went to Jerusalem for meetings at the Geological Survey of Israel headquarters. Much more on that later. On the way Yoav drove us along the west coast of the Dead Sea. Will got a … Continue reading →
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Society and animals

sclayton May 30, 2011
Love of nature — biophilia.  Some have argued that it’s imprinted in our very genes. It’s certainly in our institutions. Many religions emphasize respect for nature and for animals, as was evident at this 1000 year old Buddhist temple.The buildings … Continue reading →
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Mishash, b’gosh

Mark Wilson May 29, 2011
MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL–Today Will and I drove south, east and north to meet Dr. Yael Edelmen-Furstenburg of the Geological Survey of Israel. She gave us a most excellent tour of the Mishash (pronounced ME-shawsh) Formation (Campanian, Upper Cretaceous) in the … Continue reading →
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Incidents of Travel in Southern Israel

Mark Wilson May 29, 2011
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