Re: Conspiracy Theory- Earth's Expansion

[don ohmes <d_ohmes@yahoo.com>]

This theory explains why the walk to the mailbox takes so much longer than it 
used to, and why I weigh more every year, so it has persimmo-moniusness. I 
wonder if there is any chance of local expansion rate
differentials. I might like to advertise my land as being in a 'high expansion
zone'.

Don

----- Original Message ----
From: "Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@umd.edu>
To: mjdefazio@yahoo.com; dinosaur@usc.edu
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 8:32:30 AM
Subject: RE: Conspiracy Theory- Earth's Expansion

> From: owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu [mailto:owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu] 
> On Behalf Of Matthew J DeFazio
> Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 11:19 PM
> To: dinosaur@usc.edu
> Subject: Fw: Conspiracy Theory- Earth's Expansion
> 
> I am no paleontologist- or geologist even- but I was 
> wondering what some of you thought about this particular 
> theory of "Earth's Expansion". It's ten minutes of your life 
> you'll never get back. I think the author is crazy. Please 
> tell me if I am wrong. I recognize that scientific theory 
> progresses through debate, but is this actually a valid 
> argument? I don't think it is.
> 
> Best Regards,
>                      Matty Fazziani
> 
> Here's the URL: http://www.youtube.com/v/VjgidAICoQI&rel=1
> 

The term isn't "crazy": it is "chiropteran excrement insane".

The creator has only a very limited (pre-Geol 100) level understanding
 of
the data supporting sea-floor spreading, subduction, continental
 motion, and
such. He means well, but clearly has not looked into the numerous lines
 of
evidence that were brought together to demonstrate plate motion,
 subduction,
and so on. Any decent intro to physical geology textbook will given you
 the
preliminaries; even better, there are good popular books such as
 Powell's
"Mysteries of Terra Firma" and Nield's "Supercontinent" that go into
 more
detail on the discoveries that led to our modern understanding. And of
course, better still are the great number of upper level texts,
 technical
papers, and so on that documented these processes.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email: tholtz@umd.edu    Phone: 301-405-4084
Office: Centreville 1216            
Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
Fax: 301-314-9661        

Faculty Director, Earth, Life & Time Program, College Park Scholars
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite/
Fax: 301-405-0796

Mailing Address:    Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
            Department of Geology
            Building 237, Room 1117
            University of Maryland
            College Park, MD 20742 USA