Chris Rowan

@allochthonous
21 Followers
267 Following
673 Posts

Earth scientist, interested in our amazing planet and how humans can live sustainably on it.

UK-born, US resident: would like both of them to stop punching themselves in the face quite so much.

websitehttp://all-geo.org/highlyallochthonous/
pronounshe/him
Chris RowanFeb 16, 2023
About to try out this switching instances thing. If you're following me, you should get automatically switched to following me at the new digs: @allochthonous
Chris RowanFeb 16, 2023

My headcanon for Star Trek is now that the computer is a distant descendant of the new #Bing / #ChatGPT. It explains the technobabble *and* why the crews always get into so much trouble all the time.

“Computer, plot a course to the nearest Starbase.”
_Course plotted._
“Wait. That takes us through a black hole!”
_You are mistaken. There is no black hole. You are a bad Starfleet person. I am a good computer._

Chris RowanFeb 16, 2023
Show threadAndy BakerFeb 16, 2023
@berndandeweg @allochthonous
I have a class of ~100 first year 'earth and environmental science' students just started. This year, the majority are interested in all aspects of the environment, some rocks and minerals, some natural hazards, and I didn't hear of anyone interested in a career in minerals exploration. Last year it was a handful of students.
Chris RowanFeb 16, 2023
Annalee Newitz 🍜Feb 16, 2023
"It’s increasingly looking like this may be one of the most hilariously inappropriate applications of AI that we’ve seen yet." I am riveted by the extensive documentation of how ChatGPT-powered Bing is now completely unhinged. @simon has chronicled it beautifully here: https://simonwillison.net/2023/Feb/15/bing/
Bing: “I will not harm you unless you harm me first”

Last week, Microsoft announced the new AI-powered Bing: a search interface that incorporates a language model powered chatbot that can run searches for you and summarize the results, plus do …

Simon Willison’s Weblog
Chris RowanFeb 16, 2023
TrishFFeb 16, 2023
There’s a tiny waterfall in there somewhere for #WaterfallWednesday. #MadRiver #Warren #Vermont
Chris RowanFeb 16, 2023
Chris WhiteFeb 16, 2023
Quincy or #BlueHills #Porphyry #Granite
An alkaline, nonorogenic granite intruded into #Avalonia in the #Silurian / #Ordovician as it cruised from peri-#Gondwana to #Laurentia, before assembling #Pangea in the #Acadian #Orogeny (#Devonian). It’s coarse, with the #phenocrysts of amphiboles(?) (possibly riebeckite?)…I’m no petrologist. From@the Eaton’s Pond conservation area@at the #Braintree #Quincy border. My photos.
#geology #igneous #Massachusetts #Boston #NewEngland #Fujifilm #photo
Show threadChris RowanFeb 15, 2023

But there is clearly a broader problem with geoscience enrolments, and I don’t believe universities can simply blame it on the lack of exposure in high school, or think we can wait it out until the next hiring spree in the fossil fuel industry.

Some thoughts from a previous round of conversation about this:

https://all-geo.org/highlyallochthonous/2021/10/diversity-or-lack-thereof-in-geoscience-are-we-hyping-up-the-wrong-things/

Diversity (or lack thereof) in geoscience: are we hyping up the wrong things? | Highly Allochthonous

Chris RowanFeb 15, 2023

We might need mining to drive the clean energy transition, but I suspect the fact that the mining industry as a whole remains a terrible environmental actor - and a largely unrepentant one - is a big problem for attracting and retaining new talent.

From: @Andbaker
https://aus.social/@Andbaker/109867521131257799

Andy Baker (@[email protected])

Geoscience student numbers have decreased, what does that mean for the transition to a green economy? https://miningmagazine.com.au/geoscience-graduate-numbers-plummet/ #earthscience #highered #highereducation #geology #GreenTransition

Aus.Social
Chris RowanFeb 15, 2023
Andy BakerFeb 15, 2023

Geoscience student numbers have decreased, what does that mean for the transition to a green economy?
https://miningmagazine.com.au/geoscience-graduate-numbers-plummet/

#earthscience #highered #highereducation #geology #GreenTransition

Geoscience graduate numbers plummet - Mining Magazine

The Australian Geoscience Council has released a new report revealing a 40 per cent decline in students completing geoscience degrees over the past eight years, raising concerns over Australia’s ability to find, define and mine key minerals.

Mining Magazine
Chris RowanFeb 15, 2023
Show threadberndandewegFeb 15, 2023
@allochthonous 'Corruption kills' https://www.nature.com/articles/469153a
Corruption kills - Nature

On the anniversary of Haiti's devastating quake, Nicholas Ambraseys and Roger Bilham calculate that 83% of all deaths from building collapse in earthquakes over the past 30 years occurred in countries that are anomalously corrupt.

Nature