Re: what's in a name?

[JH6669@aol.com]

I've been reading the messages here for a while, but this is my first time to
post, so if i make a fool of myself, please, be kind.

In a message dated 97-08-18 03:05:06 EDT, you write:

<< >Date: Sun, 17 Aug 1997 08:08:32 +1000
 >From: Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>
 excerpt:
 >(and let's face it, palaeontology is never
 >going to build alternative power plants or cure cancer)
 
 I think you underestimate the power of studying the past.  It's an exacting
 study of the environment, physiology, and behavior of animals who held
 'control' of the planet far longer than we have and then  disappeared.  (No
 offense to our feathered friends).  By neccesity, the detective work
 consists of sifting for the teeniest of clues, building theories around a
 tooth or footprint, and arguing the unanswerable.  Add to that the brain
 power, education, and passion of the folks involved.  What awesome
 potential for discovery!
 
 Who can guess what breakthroughs and insights into the survival of
 individuals, species, or our battered little home world may emerge from
 this incredible field!?! >>

There is a reason dinosaurs went extinct, and if we find out that reason, it
may help us to hold off our own extinction.  Learning of the past can be a
great help with the future.

Jason