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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear Jackie: One of the last books I was able to read was John McPhee's "Annals of the Former World".
It is truly a marvelously enjoyable as well as very informative book about geology. He tells for instance,
that there is a terrane in weatern US, I now forget exact location, that has all the characteristics to
that it once was part of Asia. There are many such known to geologists. Get that book and read it.
You'll be glad you did, I guarantee. Bill
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
[small squeal of delight e] I've read a couple of his, Dr. Bill! (And am grinning like a maniac at the association.) He is good!
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156 |
There was an older computer game (whose name escapes me - could've been Populous) which had you building civilizations, and at the beginning of the game when the computer was generating the map for you to work on (which presumably was different every time) a little message popped up while you waited, saying "Terraforming..." (This could've also been the original Sim City; I forget, though I remember the word.)
And Newfoundland is sometimes referred to as Terra Nova. So we have a plethora of names based on that - a planned oil rig called Terra Nova, Terra Nova Motors (a car dealership), Terra Nova veterinary clinic...the list goes on.
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
Terraforming was invented by one of the major SF writers. Might have been James Blish. Then others picked it up and used it.
I wondered about terrapin, but turns out to be Algonquian origin, but terrarium - a vivarium for animals that live in/on the ground or a sealed environment for growing plants has the 'terra' root. Also terra alba: pipeclay.
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467 |
TEd
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
>Terraforming was invented by one of the major SF writers.
If the colonization of other worlds is not to be restricted to those that prove almost-exact duplicates of the Earth, some form of adaptation will be necessary; the colonists might adapt themselves by GENETIC ENGINEERING, as in James Blish's Pantropy series, or cyborgization as in Frederik Pohl's Man Plus, but if they are bolder they might instead adapt the worlds, by terraforming them. The term was coined by Jack Williamson in the series of stories revised as Seetee Ship....
(I have to ask myself whether having such information to hand is worth the space that the humongous Encyclopedia of Science Fiction takes up on my reference shelf....)
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 122
member
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member
Joined: Dec 2002
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
terra felix
Er--? Sorry, I don't get that one.
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 315
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 315 |
it should be
happy land, I suppose
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 122
member
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member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 122 |
>it should be happy land
cannot disagree :)
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