Minnesota PaleoWeb: About This Site
Minnesota PaleoWeb > About This Site
This site is maintained by
Paul Bramscher.
I'm a computer programmer at the
University of Minnesota Libraries, working in the
Digital Library Development Lab.
I have an academic background in archaeology, computer science and a longtime
hobbyist interest in paleontology of Minnesota.
Many of us realize at some point that becoming a
paid paleontologist isn't in our deck of cards. In today's climate there has been a drift
away from the pure and natural sciences, over to their economically-driven offspring.
Still, there are advantages in practicing
paleontology avocationally: government cutbacks, lack of tenure, etc. matter not a whit.
The best opportunity for anyone to practice paleontology is to simply do it.
Amateurs have made key contributions in this field, though please take heed of the
recommendations here: Collecting in Minnesota.
Thinking and wondering about the world around you is like physical
exercise: it's no use getting someone else to exercise in your place.
All children, and some exceptional adults, have a natural curiousity
which needs to be exercised in order to maintain.
We owe it to our brains to turn off the television and do some
exploring, hiking, bird watching, rock and fossil collecting. Look at
the world around you in new ways, from new vantage points, get muddy
-- it'll wash away -- and get a magnifying glass.
