[ECOLOG-L] 2-day Workshop | Model Selection and Multimodel Inference, Dr. David R. Anderson

[John Skinner]

Dear list members,

The Alaska SeaLife Center (Seward, AK) will be hosting a 2-day
workshop on AIC model selection and model averaging methods presented
by Dr. David R. Anderson. We would like to invite others to
participate as space remains available. Please read the description
below and come join us for this wonderful and informative course!

MODEL SELECTION AND MULTIMODEL INFERENCE IN THE LIFE SCIENCES
Presented by Dr. David R. Anderson Alaska SeaLife Center | Seward, AK
| 26-27 August 2010 | 8am - 5pm

This workshop is intended for graduate students, post-docs, faculty,
government scientists, resource managers and any other individuals
interested in understanding and applying AIC model selection and
multimodel inference methods in their work. Please visit the workshop
homepage below for more information and to register for this course.


Workshop Homepage: http://sites.google.com/site/aslcworkshops/

Contact John Skinner (email: jo...@alaskasealife.org) if interested or
you have any questions.

Best regards,

  John

___

John Skinner
Research Associate
Alaska SeaLife Center
301 Railway Ave
Seward, AK 99664
907 224 6888

[ECOLOG-L] Permanent plot data Re: Spatially explicit environmental data sources

[Laura S]

If anyone has suggestions on permanent plot data sources (local scale), I
would appreciate it.

Thank you everyone who has posted so far. Given I have received off list
requests for the data, I will be compiling the data (removing sender names
and email addresses) from the on list and off list sources and emailing the
information to those who have contacted me off list.

Cheers,
Laura

On Sun, May 16, 2010 at 5:36 PM, Laura S.  wrote:

> Dear all:
>
> I would greatly appreciate any ideas or suggestions regarding spatially
> explicit soil data bases/data sets (or other spatially explicit terrestrial
> environmental data).
>
> I am specifically looking for spatially explicit forest and/or grassland
> vegetation data along with environmental variable data (including soil
> data). However, any terrestrial environmental data would work.
>
> Thank you for your time and consideration,
> Laura
>
>


-- 
" Genius is the summed production of the many with the names of the few
attached for easy recall, unfairly so to other scientists"

- E. O. Wilson (The Diversity of Life)

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Science and Religion Dogmatic conflict?

[Wayne Tyson]

Honorable Forum:

It is interesting that such a seemingly simple beginning of a professor's 
dilemma--a student who abandoned biology because heshe could not square 
evolution with hisher religion--would lead down so many diverse pathways. 
But then, I suppose one should not be surprised that such a fundamental and 
widespread phenomenon and issue would be so wide and so deep.


The subject and its examination does not defy logic, but the imposition of 
formal logic might complicate the process of gaining ground on understanding 
and clarity simply because so few people actually care to become entwined in 
its abstract riddles, and so few have actually taken courses in it. Other 
routes to truth may be more circuitous, but may be necessary to actually 
reach a point of clarity and reconciliation, perhaps for the very reasons 
Moore points out. Crossing the bridges that language, semantics, and custom, 
not to mention the convolutions of both specialties and generalizations, may 
require more patience and less pedantry.


But that does not mean that intellectual discipline need be abandoned 
altogether. The initial sorting out process might be begun by stating a 
premise, then moving consistently through a process in which the premise and 
its supporting statements are first subjected to initial judgments as to 
whether or not they are more likely to be true or untrue, reserving "final" 
judgment for further cycles of such winnowing. Any statement will do as a 
point of beginning, as did the professor's dilemma, and the journey may well 
stumble upon other issues on the route to its "solution." I, for one, am not 
at all concerned that the original question has not yet been "answered." If 
the professor has followed this discussion and has done hisher own 
winnowing, heshe may have found another way to engage students on the issue.


In the meantime, the discussion has, with notable vigor and maturity, 
explored many "roads less traveled by" and maybe even set in motion many 
adventures that will feed back and nourish the study of ecology in ways that 
challenge other assumptions and move minds in "wondrous ways."


WT


- Original Message - 
From: "Micah Moore" 

To: 
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 12:12 PM
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Science and Religion Dogmatic conflict?



Thank you for making that point. I agree that logic is not the only
suitable tool for discovering the truth. I should have been clear about
the target audience for the terminology used in that post. Also, I agree 
that the "language" I used, currently, would not be efficient when

communicating with the majority of human beings. With that in mind, I
agree that communication/discussion/explanation/persuasion/information
should incorporate morality, emotion, logic etc... in the order and
proportions that make the "energy expense" receivable/usable for the
majority of the audience.

Maybe the order is emotion, morality then logic. When I examine myself I 
see that hearing some sort of "news" elicits emotion first for varying 
duration based on many variables. That usually leads to my thinking 
"that's not right" or "what a horrible thing to do". The morality then 
leads to "why does this anger or excite me" and "why is that right or 
wrong". I think people who have had the privilege of "continuing 
education"(more stimuli) will be more likely to perform introspection, but 
I believe that you are right in saying that humans encounter many 
different combinations of emotion, morality and logic. Globally, there is 
a great diversity of human beings who are unique, and each has encountered 
unique sets of stimuli across their life(time) that compounds their 
uniqueness. Because the audience is diverse those, who

possess and utilize a diversity of "communication skills", will be more
capable when attempting to relate with a majority of that diverse 
audience.


When people live in a country where a diversity of languages are spoken, 
those who are bi, tri or
multilingual will likely benefit accordingly. If the majority of a given 
persons' interactions are with a single language, he or she can "afford" 
to invest more in what is needed for primary interactions. This trade-off 
will be

relative to the extent that resources are acquired through social
interactions. A person living in the country side that
interacts/acquires through a small, less diverse group that speaks one 
language(including with an accent), can afford not to invest as much 
energy in learning the languages that are more necessary for the high 
diversity scenario.


The diversity(and complexity) of interactions in our solar system, in 
turn,

favors that diversity of genetics. If energy is to stay in the system
termed "genes", genes will benefit from genetic diversity to ensure its
relative stability(survival). A environment with a diversity of 
pathogens/diseases etc..., will favor a diversity
of genetic code for the immune "system". A diversity of soil types favors 

[ECOLOG-L] new Master’s of Science program in Climate Science and Solutions

[David Inouye]

Northern Arizona University announces a new 
Master’s of Science program in Climate Science 
and Solutions, scheduled to begin fall semester, 
2010. With funding from the NSF, the program will 
award 6 full fellowships.  This interdisciplinary 
program provides training in addressing the 
climate challenge by enhancing understanding of 
climate science, biological and technological 
approaches to mitigation and adaptation, and the 
regulatory and market contexts for developing 
workable climate solutions. A key feature of the 
program is a summer internship ­ in private 
industry, government, or the non-profit sector ­ 
in positions working directly on the climate 
challenge.  Applications are welcome from 
graduates of natural science, business, and 
engineering programs as well as from 
professionals seeking to enhance their skills in 
the climate solutions industry.  Inquiries are 
welcome now, with full applications accepted 
beginning July 1. Further details and application 
instructions are available at http://climatesciencesolutions.nau.edu/. 

[ECOLOG-L] NEON- 6 Summer Field Technicians needed-Ordway Swisher Biological Station

[Laura Reynolds]

Overview
The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON, Inc.) is a nonprofit 
science corporation dedicated to understanding how changes in climate, 
land use and invasive species impact ecology. Currently under design is 
the NEON project - an observatory comprising more than 60 environmental 
and biological monitoring locations distributed throughout twenty domains 
across the United States, Hawaii, Alaska & Puerto Rico.  The observatory 
network will be the first of its kind designed to detect and enable 
forecasting of ecological change at continental scales over multiple 
decades.

Position Summary
Six temporary Field Technicians are needed to assist with field work at 
the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station (OSBS), part of the University of 
Florida located in Gainesville, FL.  Field-based vegetation measurements 
will enable calibration of airborne spectrophotometric and LIDAR data that 
NEON will simultaneously acquire over Ordway-Swisher in late August. 
Together, the ground-based and airborne vegetation data will form the 
foundation of NEON’s ability to scale up site based measurements of plant 
biomass and carbon stocks to regional and continental scales.

Timeline
This temporary assignment is expected to run between the 9th – 20th of 
August, 2010. Work will be full days Monday through Friday both weeks 
during this period with 8-10h days anticipated, with periodic longer hours 
required.  At times work will be starting at dawn through dusk.  

Project Duties 
Field technicians will be responsible for the following tasks over the two 
week period: 1) making measurements of leaf area index (LAI) with a hand-
held analyzer in multiple forest types; 2) measuring diameter at breast 
height, canopy height and canopy width on trees and large shrubs; and 3) 
identifying trees and large shrubs to species. Training will be provided 
for all required instruments, and NEON will also instruct the field crew 
with regard to proper methodology for collecting measurements on 
vegetation physical structure. 

Required Qualifications
•   A valid, current driver's license
•   Proof of auto insurance
•   Must be at least 18 years of age
•   Must be US Citizen 
•   Experience as a field technician 


Preferred Qualifications
•   Currently working toward BS, MS, Ph.D. degree in Forestry or 
Ecology or another related field
•   Previous experience leading field work, or acting in a lead 
capacity on a team
•   Experience with identifying local trees and shrubs
•   Prior experience with LAI analyzers
•   Experience with backcountry hiking and navigation (maps, compass, 
and GPS)
•   Experience leading hikes, or assisting nature societies with 
seasonal nature observations
•   Wildlife safety training course or another safety training course

Skills and Abilities:
•   Ability to follow instructions, a strong work ethic, and enthusiasm
•   Able to supply personal gear (adequate clothing and boots, etc.)
•   Ability to work independently and as part of a team
•   Proficient in MS Office including Excel and Word
•   Attention to detail and accuracy

Physical Abilities
•   Ability to hike with packs up to 25 lbs (carrying field equipment) 
to field sites off-trail for distances of up to 3 miles
•   Ability to work in adverse weather conditions and in all types of 
terrain

Compensation
•   $12-20 per hr, DOE, plus mileage reimbursement

Apply online at www.neoninc.org 

Be sure to include your resume, cover letter and names of 3 references. 

NEON Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, Minorities, Veterans 
and Disabled Persons are encouraged to apply. 

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Science and Religion Dogmatic conflict?

[Micah Moore]

Thank you for making that point. I agree that logic is not the only 
suitable tool for discovering the truth. I should have been clear about 
the target audience for the terminology used in that post. Also, I agree that 
the "language" I used, currently, would not be efficient when 
communicating with the majority of human beings. With that in mind, I 
agree that communication/discussion/explanation/persuasion/information 
should incorporate morality, emotion, logic etc... in the order and 
proportions that make the "energy expense" receivable/usable for the 
majority of the audience. 

Maybe the order is emotion, morality then logic. When I examine myself I see 
that hearing some sort of "news" elicits emotion first for varying duration 
based on many variables. That usually leads to my thinking "that's not right" 
or "what a horrible thing to do". The morality then leads to "why does this 
anger or excite me" and "why is that right or wrong". I think people who have 
had the privilege of "continuing education"(more stimuli) will be more likely 
to perform introspection, but I believe that you are right in saying that 
humans encounter many different combinations of emotion, morality and logic. 
Globally, there is a great diversity of human beings who are unique, and each 
has encountered unique sets of stimuli across their life(time) that compounds 
their uniqueness. Because the audience is diverse those, who 
possess and utilize a diversity of "communication skills", will be more 
capable when attempting to relate with a majority of that diverse audience. 

When people live in a country where a diversity of languages are spoken, those 
who are bi, tri or 
multilingual will likely benefit accordingly. If the majority of a given 
persons' interactions are with a single language, he or she can "afford" to 
invest more in what is needed for primary interactions. This trade-off will be 
relative to the extent that resources are acquired through social 
interactions. A person living in the country side that 
interacts/acquires through a small, less diverse group that speaks one 
language(including with an accent), can afford not to invest as much energy in 
learning the languages that are more necessary for the high diversity scenario.

The diversity(and complexity) of interactions in our solar system, in turn, 
favors that diversity of genetics. If energy is to stay in the system 
termed "genes", genes will benefit from genetic diversity to ensure its 
relative stability(survival). A environment with a diversity of 
pathogens/diseases etc..., will favor a diversity 
of genetic code for the immune "system". A diversity of soil types favors a 
diversity phenotypic expressions. A diverse market place(economy) favors a 
diverse "portfolio". Diverse job duties 
favors a diverse skill set. A diversity of robbers favors a diversity of hiding 
spots for eggs.  These analogies are possible because the same 
root cause is expressed across different combinations of 
stimuli(situations), and as the environment, markets, job duties, robbers 
change; how we allocate resources will need "Change".


I believe that because all 
pathways(communication) are built by the same fundamental material, the 
possibility for translation exists. Just as we have language translators, we 
can translate similar words(beleifs) across other languages(religions). I 
believe one day Religions will be viewed as a local adaptation(mind strategy) 
for the particular social environment, geographic local etc..., from which it 
arose. Whether the religion of people high in the Andes Mountains to those in 
Tropical Rain Forests, Buddha, Christ, Allah, Mother Earth; the various 
relatively isolated human populations developed ("moral code") that made the 
majority of people, more fit in that particular environment. We only need to 
look at the striking similarities in the message and overall goal of various 
religions and in the "new kid on the block"(in terms of human systems) that we 
call Science. We must use varying combinations of emotion, moral and logic 
based on the audience. The challenges that face our species demands that we 
learn to see the relationship of all mind
 stratgies(adaptations), which will require "a lot of energy" on our part.

Respectfully,

Micah






From: James Crants 
To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
Sent: Wed, May 19, 2010 9:36:30 AM
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Science and Religion Dogmatic conflict?

I, too, appreciate Jane's contribution to this conversation.  We can only
speculate on the origins of religion, since religion originated long before
written language, or even cave art (if neanderthal and modern human religion
have a common origin; though I will agree with William Silvert that religion
probably didn't come about because any gods revealed their existence to our
ancestors).

However, science can say something about what goes on in the brain when
people have religious experiences, an

[ECOLOG-L] Position Announcement: Chicago Region Invasive Plant Management Coordinator

[Daniel Larkin]

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT

Position Title: Invasive Plant Management Coordinator
Position Description: http://tinyurl.com/23nsj6n 
NOTE: Closes June 11, 2010

Background: Chicago Wilderness seeks a qualified candidate to fill the
position of Invasive Plant Management Coordinator (IPMC). The IPMC will be
responsible for establishing and advancing the goals and objectives of the
Chicago region Cooperative Weed Management Area partnership.

Cooperative Weed Management Areas (CWMA) are local organizations that
provide a mechanism for sharing invasive plant management resources across
jurisdictional boundaries in order to achieve widespread invasive plant
prevention and control in a broader geographic region. The Chicago region
CWMA will encompass the northeastern Illinois area within the
biogeographically defined Chicago Wilderness region (to view a map go to
http://www.chicagowilderness.org/pdf/cw_region_map.pdf).

Basic Function: The Invasive Plant Management Coordinator will work with the
CWMA Steering Committee, Advisory Group and general CWMA partnership to
advance the goals and objectives identified in the CWMA’s Long-term Work
Plan including: 1) formally establishing the CWMA; 2) establishing a
structure to track expenditures, matching contributions, and CWMA initiative
successes; 3) building working relationships with CWMA partners and
increasing regional awareness of CWMA; 4) identifying and securing
additional funding for CWMA projects and the Invasive Plant Management
Coordinator position; 5) increasing regional awareness of invasive plant
prevention; 7) assisting partners in coordinating early detection and rapid
response initiatives; 8) assisting landowners in building their capacity to
implement invasive plant management programs.
 
Location & Travel: The position will be housed at the Chicago Botanic Garden
in Cook County, Illinois with optional office space available, as needed, in
Bartlett, Illinois at the James “Pate” Phillips State Park.
Travel within the CWMA region and larger Chicago Wilderness area will be
required. A vehicle is not available for this position; the Coordinator
shall be reimbursed for mileage costs. The Invasive Plant Management
Coordinator does not supervise other employees.

Qualifications: 
*  Undergraduate or graduate (preferred) degree in ecological restoration,
plant ecology, community ecology, botany or a related field.
*  Knowledge of invasive plant issues and invasive plant management
strategies in the northeastern Illinois region.
*  Excellent oral communication skills.
*  Strong interpersonal skills.
*  Experience in building community-based partnerships and ability to work
with multiple partners.
*  Ability to speak to general public, students and professional audiences
about invasive plant issues. 
*  Excellent organizational skills to keep large groups of people focused on
long-term goals and objectives of the CWMA.
*  Excellent written communication skills, particularly the ability to* 
Must be self-motivated and able to work independently on multiple tasks with
little supervision, and with many partners.
*  Ability to think creatively to achieve CWMA goals and objectives
*  Proficiency in Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Outlook)
required. Proficiency in ArcMap and Access preferred. 
*  Illinois driver’s license required for Illinois residents with 30 days of
hire. Valid out-of-state license for out-of-state residents.
*  Ability and willingness to travel to meetings and events within the CWMA
region and the larger Chicago Wilderness area. Personal vehicle or public
transportation will be required for most travel. 
Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends.

Term: This position is fully funded for 1 year. Additional employment is
contingent upon funding and performance.

Salary range: $30,000 - $42,000 per year plus medical & dental benefits package

To apply: Please email a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to Chris
Mulvaney at chris.mulva...@chicagowilderness.org. The writing sample will be
used to gauge applicant’s written communication skills.
It should consist of a 1-2 page excerpt from a grant proposal, report, or
journal article where the applicant was the primary author.
Applications are due by Friday, June 11 at 5:00pm (CST). 

For additional information or if you have questions, please contact Debbie
Maurer (Lake County Forest Preserve District) at 847-968-3285 (Ph)/
847-276-6943 (Cell); dmau...@lcfpd.org

[ECOLOG-L] Research Assistantship position available: beavers on DOD land in AL

[David Inouye]

Research Assistantship

Project Title: Dispersal and source-sink population dynamics of 
beavers on DOD land in northern Alabama


Project Description: One M.S. Research Assistantship is available 
within the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture at 
Mississippi State University.  The graduate research assistant will 
develop and conduct a research project to better understand the 
source-sink population dynamics of beavers using radio telemetry and 
landscape genetics techniques.  The student will collect radio 
telemetry data and beaver tissue samples and assist in DNA lab 
analysis.  The student will closely work with USDA APHIS Wildlife 
Biologists and Department of Defense Wildlife Biologists.


Qualifications: B.S. degree in wildlife sciences or a related 
field.  Desirable qualifications include excellent written and oral 
communication skills and good organization skill.  A minimum 3.0 GPA 
and GRE score of 1100 is desired.  Coursework in population and 
spatial ecology would be beneficial.


Location: Starkville, Mississippi

Starting Date: August 16, 2010

Stipend:  $15,000 per year plus tuition and health benefits

Closing Date: 30 July 2010 or until position is filled


Application: Apply via electronic application within the Office of 
Graduate Studies, Mississippi State University.  Also create a single 
document (e.g., a PDF) containing the following: 1) cover letter 
describing credentials and professional goals; 2) a resume; 3) three 
references; and 4) a copy of university transcripts and GRE/TOEFL 
scores.  The name of the file should contain the first and last name 
of the applicant (e.g., Jane Doe.pdf). E-mail this file to Dr. 
Guiming Wang (gw...@cfr.msstate.edu) and Dr. Jimmy Taylor 
(jimmy.d.tay...@aphis.usda.gov) with "Landscape Beaver Assistantship" 
in the subject line.



Inquiries:  Dr. Guiming Wang; email: gw...@cfr.msstate.edu; phone: 
662-325-0414 or Dr. Jimmy Taylor; email: 
jimmy.d.tay...@aphis.usda.gov; phone: (541) 737-1353



MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER

[ECOLOG-L] Conference: Invasive Plant Control for Habitat Restoration

[David Inouye]

Announcing:
Save the Date - Good Green, Bad Green
Invasive Plant Control for Habitat Restoration
A MID-ATLANTIC FOCUSED CONFERENCE

Sept. 16 & 17, 2010
Northern Virginia 4-H Center and Smithsonian Conservation Ecology Center
Front Royal, Virginia

Auditorium and Field-sessions include:
*Species identification techniques
*Integrated Pest Management
*Treatment demonstrations
*Strategies for conducting site triage
*Herbicide safety
*Restoration successes and challenges

Who should attend:
*Natural Resource Professionals
*Master Naturalists
*Consulting Foresters
*Landowners
*Arborists & Horticulturalists
*Master Gardeners
*You!
 _

Printable Save-The-Date 
Flier: 
http://www.forestryforthebay.org/files/Save%20the%20date.pdf

Continuing Education Credits Pending
Conference Website in Development

To make sure you receive final notice of this conference, please 
complete this 1 minute survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/goodgreenbadgreen

For Sponsorship Opportunities contact:  Adam Downing 540-948-6881 or 
adown...@vt.edu


Respectfully,

Adam K. Downing, Extension Agent
Forestry & Natural Resources - Northern Piedmont Area*
Virginia Cooperative Extension, Madison County
War Memorial Building, 2nd floor, Main St.
P.O. Box 10; Madison, VA  22727
Phone: 540.948.6881  Fax: 540.948.6883
http://offices.ext.vt.edu/madison
*Serving the following areas of Virginia: Albemarle, Alexandria, Arlington,
Caroline, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Greene, King George,
Loudoun, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Prince William, Rappahannock,
Spotsylvania, & Stafford

[ECOLOG-L] Student feedback for ESA's Centennial Anniversary (1914-2014)

[Rob Salguero-Gomez]

ESA is approaching its Centennial Anniversary (1914-2014)!!

The Historical Records Committee (HRC) welcomes ideas from students on how
to commemorate the past 100 years!  If you have any memories of ESA annual
meetings, posters/presentation awards, or stories (heart wrenching, funny,
ordinary, any and all) related to ESA, we'd like to hear from you! Pictures
with stories are ALWAYS welcome.

Students are a main driving force for ESA (EVERYONE was once a student).
 ESA will soon have its own ESA-Wikipedia and archiving of all things ESA.
 If you'd like to help ESA remember all the great stories, shoot an email
to: Daniel Song (song...@sas.upenn.edu)

Please check out the history webpage

http://www.esa.org/history/


Rob Salguero-Gomez
ESA-Student Section, chair


-- 
"Illic est haud via ut prosperitas tamen exsupero in panton"
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.
Rob Salguero-Gómez
PhD candidate EEB
Department of Biology, Leidy Labs 321/330, 3740 Hamilton Walk
University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
Lab phone:  215-898-8419; 215-898-8608;
Fax: 215 898.8780; salgu...@sas.upenn.edu
http://sites.google.com/site/RobResearchSite/

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Science and Religion Dogmatic conflict?

[James Crants]

I, too, appreciate Jane's contribution to this conversation.  We can only
speculate on the origins of religion, since religion originated long before
written language, or even cave art (if neanderthal and modern human religion
have a common origin; though I will agree with William Silvert that religion
probably didn't come about because any gods revealed their existence to our
ancestors).

However, science can say something about what goes on in the brain when
people have religious experiences, and perhaps it can say something about
why some people seem to need religion while others couldn't be religious if
they wanted to.  It can tell us how similar the experience of meditation is
to the experience of prayer, or getting mentally absorbed in an anthill, or
drawing, or playing an instrument, or driving a car, and so on.  Based on a
biological understanding of religious experience, plus the archeological
evidence, we can form models of how religion originated and evolved in
modern humans, and how it is relevant to modern life.

I do think the "naturalist's trance" is basically the same as a religious
experience.  I don't know of any hard evidence bearing on that, but the
experience is similar to those I've had from meditation, intense prayer,
playing music, painting pictures, and running much further than a mile or
so.  Such experiences say nothing at all about whether there is such a thing
as divinity, but I think they have a lot to do with the origins of
humanity's belief in divinity.

Jim Crants

On Tue, May 18, 2010 at 8:55 PM, Wayne Tyson  wrote:

> Ah-HA!
>
> I think she's GOT IT! By Jove, I think she's got it! The rain in Spain . .
> .
>
> Eureka!  Peak experiences!
>
> As in all art, the concentration of the intellect somehow gets "processed"
> by our inner resources, and "breaks through" back into the conscious after a
> period of gestation and there is a birth of insight. Burning bushes and
> other hallucinations aside, just about all scientific discovery is thus
> produced.
>
> WT
>
>
> - Original Message - From: "Jane Shevtsov" 
>
> To: 
> Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 7:48 PM
>
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Science and Religion Dogmatic conflict?
>
>
>   I think it's a mistake to reduce religion to
>> anthropomorphism/explanations and morality/politics. There is a
>> crucial third element -- the human capacity for spiritual (meditative,
>> oceanic, transcendent, pick your favorite adjective) experiences.
>> These experiences are now being studied by psychologists and
>> neuroscientists (look up "neurotheology") and are often connected to
>> experiences in nature.
>>
>> My hypothesis about the origins of such experiences is partially
>> inspired by a passage from E.O. Wilson's book _Biophilia_. "In a twist
>> my mind came free and I was aware of the hard workings of the natural
>> world beyond the periphery of ordinary attention, where passions lose
>> their meaning and history is in another dimension, without people, and
>> great events pass without record or judgment. I was a transient of no
>> consequence in this familiar yet deeply alien world that I had come to
>> love. The uncounted products of evolution were gathered there for
>> purposes having nothing to do with me; their long Cenozoic history was
>> enciphered into a genetic code I could not understand. The effect was
>> strangely calming. Breathing and heartbeat diminished, concentration
>> intensified. It seemed to me that something extraordinary in the
>> forest was very close to where I stood, moving to the surface and
>> discovery. ... I willed animals to materialize and they came
>> erratically into view."
>>
>> What does this passage, which describes an experience I suspect most
>> members of this list have had, most resemble? It sounds a lot like how
>> practitioners of some types of meditation describe their experience.
>> But what is this "naturalist's trance" good for, other than science?
>> Hunting, gathering and looking out for predators! Maybe, just maybe,
>> this was our ancestors' normal state of consciousness and maybe
>> various religious and spiritual practices arose as a way of
>> recapturing this state as, for biological and social reasons, our
>> minds changed.
>>
>> This is, of course, a guess, but what do you folks think?
>>
>> Jane Shevtsov
>>
>>
>>
>>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Religion & Scientific Dogma & Great Accomplishments

[Derek Pursell]

To develop Wayne's response further, I would speculate that many great human 
accomplishments are birthed from steady development followed by sudden insight. 
Some examples that come to mind are...
Beethoven was said to stay up for days when composing, and supposedly generated 
some of his most famous and successful work in a trance-like exhaustive state.
Many professional athletes claim that after an intense amount of training, that 
when the actual competition takes place, they sometimes enter "the zone", or a 
point of intense concentration and physical control.
Greek philosophers of antiquity were allegedly to have shouted "Eureka!" when 
experiencing an epiphany or other great insight of thought.
As Wayne said, the work and accomplishment of many scientists have followed 
similar patterns.
Speaking from my personal experience as a writer, "moments of inspiration" oft 
come when you least expect it, and are something best captured when they do 
occur.
In essence, I agree with you, Jane, that all of this phenomenon could very well 
be rooted to the same basic mental state, where the human brain focuses itself, 
with its billions of signals firing every minute, long enough to produce a 
desirable outcome (kill the hunted beast, write a work of art, score the touch 
down, make a scientific discovery, etc, etc). It will be interesting to see 
what all is discovered as neurological research continues.
Derek