Thursday, November 5

 The Eco of the City 
Steward T. A. Pickett, Ph.D. 
Senior Scientist, Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY. 

When you hear mention of the science of ecology, you probably think wilderness, regions sparsely inhabited by humans. Fact is, that has long been the way of it. but here’s a major change afoot as ecologists, armed with new ideas for studying ecosystems, train their sights on the "last frontier" -- the human-dominated metropolis. With funding from the National Science Foundation, two U.S. cities have been selected for such long-term observation. The results, it is hoped, will lead to a much-enhanced quality of life for urban dwellers.

 

Having assembled all available threads of evidence, a marine archaeologist provides the first comprehensive overview of seafaring during a pivotal period of human development (c. 3000 - 1200 B.C.). In the newly published Seagoing Ships and Seamanship in the Bronze Age Levant, she offers a provocative look at how diverse cultures were affected by nautical deeds. Much remains to be learned about his lost world, but only if scientists beat the plunderers to as-yet undiscovered wrecks lying deep beneath the wine-dark waters of the Mediterranean.