h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

They're COOL when you USE them for something!

So, do you get to use GIS or something?

NO! I have to go out and walk the streets and go to libraries and talk to people and...not hide behind my nice computer.

However, my aim in life is to do research involving GIS

It's a wonderful program, when you can get it to work right.

Kat, did you just say that going to libraries is a bad thing?

Not at all! Because I shall have access to the university library...just that it's not as nice as sitting at my computer at home with a mug of cocoa is it? Besides, it's more the walking around Loughborough writing down what people's houses are like and then going and finding out how much a can of own brand baked beans costs that's the problem.

Oh Scan you might know this...I've just started looking at universities to go to. Now, if I want to do an MA in GIS, do I need to do a BA in GIS+something else or do I need to do Geography?

Really don't know the answer to that question... I know that it's a good idea to have a broad range of experience when you go to do your masters, but I don't know if that would be too broad. Do you have a professor you could ask?

Loughborugh! Been there!

Scan, sounds like a workable project to me...and besides, you get to research in a place with no snow...always a plus!

Yeah, I just spoke to my advisor today. We've set up a timetable, sort of.

From now until February, I have to work on my thesis proposal, find funding through outside agencies (hopefully), and do some remote sensing on Landsat and aerial photos of the area (of course, before I do that, I have to know *how* to do remote sensing...... anyway).

During spring break, we're going to take a trip out to that area of the world for Tectonic Geomorphology, one of the classes I have to take in the spring. I'll collect some samples for cosmogenic dating, and try and get some luminescent dating samples as well.

Luminescent dating is really cool. Everything that has been buried has been exposed to some amount of radiation, depending on what its been buried in. If you take any given sample and expose it to light, it will fluoresce, but only once. If you take samples and keep them in the dark, then measure the fluorescence under a controlled condition (darkroom), and then figure out a radiation curve for the stuff it's been buried in, you can back out the age.

After spring break, I'll get some preliminary data, finish up sending out requests for funding, and go out again in May with my office mate, and help each other do field work. He's working in Owens Valley, one valley to the north.