Post those here, and if you want you can choose a favorite passage for the term, not just for this week.
Related to what people wished we had done but didn't, easily the most noted thing was more field exercises, both over the weekend and in class. What can you suggest for future classes, and I'm looking for things we can do during a class period or students can do on their own between class meetings?
In terms of points of confusion, the line between place and landscape was the most commonly cited. How do you make this distinction now? Where does the line begin to blur?
A number of people indicated that one of the most interesting things they learned this term was how significant walking is or could be. Does anyone want to elaborate on that thought, or make additional comment?
We talked about this in class, but I wanted to follow up with a few thoughts:
- How do you think this kind of treatment would impact how we utilize resources and prioritize the environment? I know that right now, one common attitude towards environmental issues is the whole "I don't care what happens, as long as it doesn't happen to me" excuse. Do you think the longevity treatment would help change this attitude?
- How would the longevity treatment affect population growth? Seems to me like the risk of overpopulation would be far greater in a society where you could potentially have dozens of children in one lifetime.
This blog entry provides a summary of a new Science article summarizing research on the Martian surface, or what physical geographers would call "geomorphology", and data on Martian geology.
Put those here.
Throughout our reading of the colonization of Mars, we've been given countless glimpses of the happenings on Earth. And although the people on Mars are certainly experiencing some troubles of their own, the people on Earth seem to be falling apart to an even greater extent. So, here's my question: was this breakdown of civilization on Earth inevitable -- perhaps spurring on the belief that humans needed to go to Mars -- or has humankind's ability to colonize Mars contributed to the chaos occurring on Earth? In other words, is Mars Earth's saving grace because of its natural resources, its space, etc., or its downfall by way of the "fresh start" it provides for human beings? Will Earth be "healed" by Mars, or left to rot because of it? (Of course, humans leaving the planet may very well be the best cure for Earth [environmentally-speaking], but that's only if they leave completely and then leave it alone completely...which I don't see happening.)
What are your thoughts?
What are your thoughts?
Post those here.
This issue was brought up last week and I wanted to follow up on it a bit.
When Solnit first mentioned this, the first example I could think of was actually mentioned earlier in the book, when Solnit talks about walking in Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice. At one point, the heroine, Elizabeth, is asked to "take a turn about the room" by Miss Bingly. Mr. Darcy is present, and he is asked to join them. He makes a clever response, part of it being that he could admire their figures better from where he was sitting.
Any other thoughts on this?
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