The Contemplative Mammoth
I am an ecologist and biogeographer interested in how landscapes change through space and time (hence the subtitle of this blog: “musings from the fourth dimension,” e.g. time), and how the combination of an interdisciplinary approach and a deep-time perspective can inform global change issues.
I recently completed a PhD with Jack Williams at the Geography Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on the effects of the extinction of ice-age megaherbivores and novel climates on plant communities. I have just begun as a Voss Postdoctoral Fellow working with Dov Sax and James Russell at the Environmental Change Initiative at Brown University, where I will be adding some new modeling, biogeography, and analytical skills to my global change research toolikit.
I am also interested in women in science and STEM diversity, public science literacy, interactions between scientists and science journalists, how scientists use new media, and increasing disability access at academic conferences.
Comments? Suggestions? Questions? Feel free to e-mail me at jacquelynlgill[at]gmail[dot]com. Or, check out my academic website.
Hi ! I found your blog by chance. I have a Master’s degree in palynology and paleogeography (1987) of the University of Montreal and visited Madison two times. Alas, I perished instead of published, so I have become a blogger and science-fiction writer (14 books published as now). My last science blog, with my own illustration, on the lake eutrphisation, here: http://savantefolle.wordpress.com/2012/06/03/histoire-deau-une-enquete-haletante-sur-leutrophisation-des-lacs/ (in French)
and in English, a blog article about the gap between scientific community and politics: http://sundayartist.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/the-problem-with-sciences/
Posted by savantefolle | January 20, 2013, 1:25 PMThanks for this! It’s great to find another paleo-resource on the web.
Posted by Jacquelyn Gill | February 8, 2013, 6:57 PMJacquelyn: Thank you. I am much relieved. I had a kneejerk reaction and then realized (the ufo/pyramids stuff was a hint) that maybe my usual sense of irony and satire had failed me. Again, my apologies and I’ll pay closer attention from now on. Choice b) above seems the best course. Perhaps I’ll contribute. In the meantime I’ll go self-medicate (have a beer).
Posted by David | December 6, 2011, 7:42 PMNo problem! I’m happy to clarify. A beer sounds perfect!
Posted by Jacquelyn Gill | December 6, 2011, 10:03 PMOk, I’m only a lowly failed academic with a masters in geography from the University of Washington. I just finished reading how to argue with a scientist and I have to ask you if my sense of irony and satire have failed me here. That is to say, regarding your opening paragraph, you can’t be serious re autism and anthropogenic global climate change — although your first commenter certainly thinks so and you have done nothing to disabuse him/her. If you aren’t, my apologies although it is still a poor choice of examples imho. If you are, oh my! Praise the autonomic nervous system.
Posted by David | December 6, 2011, 6:59 PMNo, I am absolutely not serious, which hopefully came across if you read further (e.g., UFO abduction support groups). Rather, I am serious about science communication, and science literacy, which I am addressing in a hopefully-funny-but-true-post. My point was that, if folks making those kinds of arguments actually tried to use the tips I posted, they would find themselves unable to come up with the evidence necessary, thereby disproving their own arguments. Scientists can have a good laugh because they encounter these sorts of arguments all the time, and everyone else might actually get something useful out of the post (i.e., a concise description of, say, sample size).
As for the first commenter, if you re-read his comment, he was aware of the satire, but took issue with my being a climate scientist– that is, he’s a classic climate change denier. I haven’t “disabused” his comment yet because a) it’s been about an hour, and I’m making dinner, b) I’m kind of hoping my readers will do it for me, and c) I haven’t decided which tack to take yet. Sometimes it’s better not to feed the trolls.
Posted by Jacquelyn Gill | December 6, 2011, 7:09 PMHey Jacquelyn! I nominated you for the Liebster Award. You should check out my latest blog post to see what it’s all about.
Posted by glacialtill | November 27, 2011, 8:21 PM