Earthworks

With advancing years one is inclined to reflect on a career.  Few geophysicists have done so as effectively as Norm Paterson.  His new book tells the story of how the now-familar techniques of geophysics in mineral exploration got started in the 25 years following the end of the second World War.  It is a fascinating history of scientific and technical creativity.  Creative because no one knew for sure what would and would not work - in theory or practice - but the ultimate goal of finding hidden mineral deposits for a resource-hungry world was rather obivous.  Canada was centre-stage for the innovations that emerged, a situation that has survived another half century.