GeologyRocks

Javi,

Yes it is similar herein the UK. What little geology that is being taught in secondary schools is now largely done so by chemistry teachers who (generalising here I know) know little about the subject and care less.

Geography (which has historically provided a number of converts to the dark arts) is no longer a compulsory subject and student numbers here are declining.

Geology degree courses have declining applications for several years now and it is a concern for the future health of the subject.

There were a number of geology classes at my university (that has 25,000 students) that had fewer than 10 students enrolled. One was my geomorphology class. However, my minerology class had 30 students, up from the 15-20 it has seen in all recent years.

So overall I'd say there is a fair share over here. I think the oil boom has still got people interested. But I also read a figure that said upwards of 5,000 professional geologists are retiring per year here in the US, and only 2500 graduates are coming out of college with a degree in it, so there may well be a surplus of jobs.

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't there some law in Spain that means that all your dams and quarrys have to inspected at certain intervals by a qualified geologist? (EurGeol or CGeol in UK). With a lack of courses that'll be a tricky requirement to fulfill? Of course, a similar situation exists with quarries in the UK and may also have tricky consequences.

It seems odd that there is a lack of interest in geology when you think of the exposure it has on TV and film:
Jurassic Park I, II and III
Volcano
Deep Impact
Armageddon
Dante's Peak
The Core
etc
(NB: I am not recommending the above films for geological content or even quality - in fact I refuse to watch the Core )

Plus Horizon and all the programs done by that little Scottish geologist who always reminds me of Richard Hammond. Even the Royal Institution lectures at Christmas are geology-y more often than not.

Plus all the issues with oil vs renewable energy and climate change.

When you add all the above together 'geology' should be an incredibly easy subject to market. Maybe it's because on the news they always talk about 'scientists' and 'experts' and never 'geologists'.

Hopefully GeolSoc are planning to tackle this issue during the 2007 festivities but I guess it's up to each of us to drag curious and interested friends on fieldtrips and teach them what rocks can show us.

Yeah, it´s true.

Each year, the IGME and ICOG (Spanish Geologist Institutions) organize some activities with the Madrilean Universities in Madrid. You can´t imagine how many people goes there....It´s amazing....

But then.. what happend, why during the last years only 30 people begins the Degree (I´m talking about the Geology Degree at Madrid Unviersity (UCM)). When I started the first year of the Degree we were more than 90 people. Today only do the course 30-35 ones.

Where´s that interest?, I don´t know mate.....But ....it´s all that I could say.

I think that part of the problem is that none of these programs actually show what geologists actually do - people see archaeologists and forensic scientists "in action" (time team, csi etc.) but I'm not sure that the general public could tell you what a geologist does.

I think that means that we should create our own geology 'Morse'!

I suggest:
He works in the Lake District (scenary, rocks, and villagey-weirdness a la league of gentlemen).
Drives a land rover with shell&auger rig on tow (should be fun down country lanes).
Has a pet duck on a lead (complete with short trousers so it is legal in certain american states.

He needs a catchphrase though, and a sidekick who actually solves all the cases for him (like Dangermouse? or was it Bananaman?)

Any suggestions?

catchphrase? gotta be "geologyrocks". what else?
he would need to wear sandles with socks, and have a belt with a hammer, hand lense and such on it!

How about someone with good writing skills does a "Geology morse" blog thing on GR3? in the news section?

hehe

I like that idea. If someone fancies writing that, the new blogs would be an ideal way to do it

The love interest could be an eastern European girl called Mica who ... wait for it ... has perfect cleavage!

Oh dear me...you deserve to be fossilised for that one

nasty jokes! i get enough of those at college!

Yeh, generally at your expense Ape!

so true....

Jon, how's this for a bad idea:

how about a joke of the week box in GR3? maybe with a poll on how good / bad a joke is? and a submit a joke box? :chin:

Sounds like a plan to me. Just create a poll each week; the site will do the rest

Actually your post brought up an interesting question of how polls work in the new site. It wasn't like I thought they did...

Oh, well!

I now have names for the geological inspector and his sidekick.

Inspector Horst and Detective Graben

Inspector Horst's first name (or middle name) is Cudeda so his title is...
I. Cudeda Horst

(say it out loud )

I think I win the worst joke of the week award again.

That's so terrible, it's very funny! I think you should consider doing the stories

I like it!
I'm not even gonna try and do a worse joke!
Brilliant