Paleo21 Meeting Update & Issues

From
Date
As of this posting we are two days into the Paleo21 meeting
(http://www.nhm.ac.uk/paleonet/paleo21). The following issues have been
identified as potenially pan-paleontological concerns by the meeting
delegates. We would be interested in your responses to any or all of the
following questions. 

Please post your responses to either the PaleoNet list at large or to the
N.MacLeod@nhm.ac.uk, identifying your message by typing
"Paleo21 Response" into the subject line of your message (if possible). All
delegates to the Paleo21 Workshop will have an opportunity to read all
responses and take your views into consideration during the course of the
meeting. This is the first of three issue lists that will be posted to
PaleoNet in the coming days.

Many thanks in advance for your participation

The organizers and convenors of the Paleo21 Workshop.

----------

Pan-paleontological Issues

1. Does paleontology need to become better integrated into the Earth
Systems research program.

2. Do we communicate enough with non-paleontological geologists/biologists? 

3. Have we communicated enough with the general scientific community?

4. Is paleontology changing (if so how)?

5. Should we strive to maintain paleontology's diversity of expertise or
should we refocus on a few core specialities?

6. Should paleontology concentrate more on public outreach in the 21st
Century?

7. Are there ethical issues to be considered in the acquisition of specimens
by museums and individuals?

8. Are there special issues to be considered in the training of new
generations of paleontologists?

9. Are the resources supporting paleontology increasing, stable, or
decreasing? 

10. Should more paleontological funding go to interdisciplinary research,
and less to lone paleontologists? 

11. Should paleontological students be better trained to market themselves
at the beginning of their careers?

12. Is there a lack of respect/understanding of what paleontologists do? 

13. Should more efforts be made in providing education for paleontologists
employed in other disciplines? 

14. Are current paleontological society programs adequate to meet the needs
of paleontology in the 21st century?