Re: paleonet Evolution & Health Sciences Assistant Professorshipopen

[Peter Paul Smolka <smolka@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 6 Oct 2004, Bill Chaisson/Deirdre Cunningham wrote:

> Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 14:38:49 -0400
> From: Bill Chaisson/Deirdre Cunningham <chaisson@netacc.net>
> Reply-To: paleonet@nhm.ac.uk
> To: paleonet@nhm.ac.uk
> Subject: Re: paleonet Evolution & Health Sciences Assistant Professorship
>     open
>
> >
> >THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
> >
> >
> >Department of Integrative Biology
> >
> >Faculty Position in Evolutionary Biology and the Health Sciences
>
> Not a particularly paleontological contribution, but more of a
> general academic one.
>
> This advertisement comes to me as I am reading the first volume of a
> trilogy of academic satires by British novelist/critic David Lodge.
> Changing Places (1975) describes an exchange of faculty between the
> "University of Euphoria" (Berkeley) and "Rummidge University"
> (Birmingham UK).  It takes place in 1969, a rather lurid year in
> Berkeley's history.  The sequels are Small World (1984) and Nice Work
> (1988).
>
> I find academic satires to be a welcome antidote to academic aggravation.

Dear Bill,

possibly you can do the community and me a favor and summarize the
main line(s) of the above-mentioned thoughts, particularly with
respect to academia.

From the context "University of Euphoria" appears to be not the best
thinkable name. On the other hand a German saying (now adopted
from a large company) says: "Future is made out of / from ideas".

If I now look into the recent Nature / Science table of contents:

pH Change in oceans, impact on life (there with respect to Corals)

or recently (either Nature or Science)

a title like: Experimental study of microbiological evolution
in connection with environmental change

Then I think that what had to be fought for 1996ff (first publications)
is now standard.

If, to my expression, Berkeley people take this thread up and think
about
"how can we develop this into the future, also with usable results",
I think, they are on a really promising way and we can wish them
all the best for the success.

If they test CO2/O2 (related pH in the oceans), species evolution
in the mid and short range, if they test also the current CO2/O2
change with respect to evolution, they do a great service as
nobody of us, to formulate compact, would be happy if some
vital microbiological endoparasites would disappear in man
and this is recognized as new desease against which a cure
needs to be developed.

That might sound even more future oriented than the position
description (and I am not in a position to develop any medicament).

It is one important aspect of ongoing environmental change
(disappearing of species throughgh microbiological evolution,
disappearing also of microbiota that are vital to larger species,
incl. man,
appearing of new microbiological species,
appearing also of some that are incompatible to existing, e.g.
that are pests and deseases to them).

It is a field that develops well into the future. There is of
course enthusiasm needed to do this.

Seeing various problems at different institutes, including a posting
on this lists like "where are paleontological positions" (understood by
me: Where do they form, what can be done) I think the Berkeley people
found one practical approach to handle this problem.

If a potential new pest through environmental stress such as CO2/O2
on microbiota is with their studies detected and potentially handable,
I would feel well about such a contribution to progress.

Remembering the bashing that above created 1996ff, as said, wishing
them success is also good for Geology/Paleontology.

Above is meant without any subpositive connotation to
the original posting (= meant really friendly and positive).

>
> Bill
> --

Best regards,


Peter


> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> William P. Chaisson
> Adjunct Assistant Professor
> Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
> University of Rochester
> Rochester, NY  14627

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Dr. Peter P. Smolka
University Muenster
Geological Institute
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