[PenultimateManStanding]

Suppose you earned an advanced degree studying foraminifera and knew them, throughout the ages, in all their forms. Now you spend the rest of your life with these damned things? How about the chemistry of a specific enzyme which you know better than just about anyone in the world. The list goes on and on. Specialties. Wouldn't it be better to drive a truck cross country for a living and just keep up with whatever is happening in science from a safe distance?

[rogerhb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'S')uppose you earned an advanced degree studying foraminifera and knew them, throughout the ages, in all their forms. Now you spend the rest of your life with these damned things? How about the chemistry of a specific enzyme which you know better than just about anyone in the world. The list goes on and on. Specialties. Wouldn't it be better to drive a truck cross country for a living and just keep up with whatever is happening in science from a safe distance?

[Free]

Hmmm I get the point, but I can also easily understand what the fascination of this specialisation is, being at the frontier!

Think of it, you are exploring into space where never a man has been before, no matter how tiny or limited or specific this space is...

And hey, how cool to be the only one who completely understands this single encyme, this means you can't be replaced! You are unique! Isn't that what we all want?

[rogerhb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Free', 'A')nd hey, how cool to be the only one who completely understands this single encyme, this means you can't be replaced! You are unique! Isn't that what we all want?

[fossil_fuel]

that's why you have to have several skill sets! learn new things and expand your horizons!

that's why i'm majoring in geology but also spend much time learning about finance and economics to the point where i know more about it than most econ majors here.

[rogerhb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('fossil_fuel', 't')hat's why you have to have several skill sets! learn new things and expand your horizons!

that's why i'm majoring in geology but also spend much time learning about finance and economics to the point where i know more about it than most econ majors here.

[fossil_fuel]

300 rounds of .22 LR for your rabbit sounds like a fair deal?

or how about 10 rolls of toilet paper?

[MacG]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('fossil_fuel', '3')00 rounds of .22 LR for your rabbit sounds like a fair deal?

or how about 10 rolls of toilet paper?

[Omnitir]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rogerhb', '
')But if you have all your eggs in one basket and nobody else needs to know about or use these wibbles then you are back to dole-queue.

[fossil_fuel]

one 500mg amoxicillin isn't going to do much towards curing an infection. you really need to take that stuff 3x a day for at least 3 days for a minor infected wound or illness.

as for the lighter, lately i have realized that smokers may have a bit of an advantage in survival situations because of the fact that they always carry lighters which can really save your ass if it's freezing and you need to start a fire.

[oiless]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('fossil_fuel', '3')00 rounds of .22 LR for your rabbit sounds like a fair deal?

[rogerhb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('oiless', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('fossil_fuel', '3')00 rounds of .22 LR for your rabbit sounds like a fair deal?

[MacG]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('oiless', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('fossil_fuel', '3')00 rounds of .22 LR for your rabbit sounds like a fair deal?

[Zentric]

Off off-topic: I agree with the straightjacket observation. Seeking the help of a specialist-anything can be a lot like allowing yourself to get run over by a thoroughbred horse that's wearing blinders.

Or it would be like driving down the road with a politician, a priest and a lawyer and getting a flat tire. Each is going to give you his expert advice on how to fix the problem, but what you should really do is apply common sense wherever possible - in this case taking the jack from the trunk and fixing the flat yourself.

I'm open to any good punchlines, by the way.

[fossil_fuel]

problem is, i'm a terrible shot

[AdamB]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ' ')
Dr. Charles Hall may not be a name you instantly recognize, but it should be. Now a Professor Emeritus of the College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Dr. Hall is a rigorous researcher of energy, oil, biophysical economics -- and was a critical early pioneer in developing the key resource metric of Energy Returned On Energy Invested (EROEI). Here's how Hall describes EROEI in layman's terms: These energy investment ideas are everywhere in nature. Certainly business people know about investments, but you've got to realize that anytime that you're investing, you investing not only money, you're investing energy. And, in fact, we consider money to be a lien on energy, a promissory note on energy. So, if, for example, you buy in New York City a bagel for $1, that bagel cannot possibly get there without the use of a considerable amount of energy