This presentation started out in a unique fashion with the brief history on the building, Orton Hall, itself. I found it really neat that the geological construction of the building mirrors the chronological order that would be occurring in the earth. I would not have known this information without having had this presentation. And, in general, the building is quite beautiful and a significant part of OSU’s campus, so I was excited to learn more.
I learned numerous new things during Dale Gnidovec’s presentation. For example, I did not realize that the individual that Parkinson’s disease is named after was an esteemed scientist. Or that Thomas Jefferson was a scientist in addition to politician, although when this was mentioned I sung the lyrics “Jefferson or Burr?” in my head multiple times. Furthermore, I took away a lot of information on previous creatures that roamed this earth. For instance, the fact that there was a giant sloth much larger than a human being, the magnitude of some pteradactylus, and the reality of the mosasaur that is depicted in Jurassic World. I found Gnidovec’s comment that 99.99% of species are extinct to be an intriguing, yet somewhat sad thought; there are likely innumerable fascinating species that I will never see. It would be neat to have the ability to view the past and see what life was like millions of years ago.
Overall, I enjoyed the content and Gnidovec was an energetic, passionate, and entertaining presenter. He made the material enjoyable and comprehensible. Paleontology and geology present a complex, yet connected world that is stimulating to ponder. I look forward to visiting the museums that he mentioned during the lecture.