Research into virtual field trips (VFTs) started in the 1990s but, only recently, the maturing technology of devices and networks has made them viable options for educational settings. By considering an experiment, the learning benefits of logging the movement of students within a VFT are shown. The data are visualized by two techniques:…

With regard to general aesthetic education, the university liberal studies curriculum is designed to provide a balance of the humanities and sciences. Beyond offering a balanced curriculum, there is the current trend for universities to offer a liberal studies curriculum that interfaces the sciences and the humanities. A prime example of this is…

This work is an attempt to give a unified theory in response to two questions. The first question arises in the philosophy of mind: what is the mechanism by which we think of objects in the world? The second is a question in the philosophy of language: what is the mechanism by which we speak of them? These are questions that some have treated…

Reviews advances in stratigraphy as illustrated in the current geological literature, discussing discontinuity and how the recognition of discontinuity in the stratigraphic record is changing views of Superposition and Original Lateral Continuity. (Author/JN)

Recent developments in molecular biology and new interpretations of the fossil record are gradually altering and adding to Charles Darwin's theory, which has been the standard view of the process of evolution for 40 years. Several of these developments and interpretations are identified and discussed. (JN)

The article's thesis is that evolution's intellectual foundations have been steadily eroding, and that few new findings in embryology, taxonomy, fossil remains, and molecular biology are bringing us very near to a formal, logical disproof of Darwinian claims. The paper begins by discussing the evidence of a prehistoric world, then they discuss…

Discusses causes of cyclicity in cratonic carbonate sequences and evidence for and potential significance of postulated primary calcite sediment components in past Paleozoic seas, outlining problems, focusing on models explaining existing data, and identifying background. Future sedimentary geologists will need to address these and related areas…

Discusses theory of facies models (attempts to synthesize/generalize information about depositional environments), strengths/weaknesses of facies modelling, recent advances in facies models for siliciclastic sediments (focusing on fluvial, lacustrine, eolian and glacial environments, clastic shorelines and continental shelves, and clastic…

Summarizes changes in paleoecology during the past few years (focusing on those influencing the way the subject is taught) and changes in the concept of what paleoecology is (focusing on the impact of the changing concepts on course content). Includes predictions about the future of paleoecological studies. (JN)

Analyzes 50 major textbooks in the fields of evolution, biology, ecology, genetics, paleontology, and systematics, focusing on how the conceptual framework of evolution as a process is presented and developed in those fields. Lists definitions of evolution provided in the textbooks and discusses the implications of the findings. Contains 56…

Suggests ways to overcome the perception by some people that plants are less understood and interesting than invertebrates or vertebrates. Describes the specialization of reproductive systems and the development of plant-animal interactions to help raise the awareness level of the fossil record of plants. (RT)

Presents current scientific evidence of a possible ancestor of the Homo genus. (WRM)

Discusses a theory suggesting that large-scale extinctions of marine animal families occur in cycles of 26 million years. Research methodology consisted of analyzing and charting fossil records showing the decline and disappearance of these animals over the past 250 million years. Other theories are considered. (BC)

Indicating that, although no broad conceptual notions in invertebrate paleontology were proposed during 1982, a large number of excellent papers focusing on testing, modifying, and documenting earlier speculations were published or presented at professional meetings. Highlights of papers, conferences, and research studies are provided (including…

Described is an acid-leaching facility at Macquarie University in Australia for teaching paleontology. The facility is used for teaching both undergraduate and graduate students and for research by staff and graduate students. Drawings of the facility are included and courses are described. (Author/RH)