|
|
. |
|
|
home : culture : continental drift : english : prof. sherban veliciu : .................................................................................................................................. |
|
English Site Index ...................... |
"Continental Drift - Colliding Continents, Converging Cultures" .................................................................................................. |
|
|
Purchase Online
Preface by
|
Review:
Professor Sherban Veliciu (Bucharest University) .................... Apart from an introductory chapter about his Romanian roots ("The DNA signature") and the period spent in Newcastle and Paris, in 1968-1969, this is a book of recollections of the author's time at Cambridge, between 1969 and 1973, where he was Research Scholar at Peterhouse. He was lucky to work on Plate Tectonics, when this subject was in its infancy, as his Supervisor and Mentor, Sir Edward Bullard led him to follow a path, where each researcher was conspicuous and his scientific inroads significant. Now this same road is rather well trodden by a mass of individuals vying for prominence. As a pupil of Bullard, Roman's name falls within a direct line of distinguished scientists of the Cambridge School of Physics, through Thompson, Rutherford and Cavendish, all the way to Sir Isaac Newton. At Cambridge, this Romanian student was busy finding a solution to the occurrence of seismicity in the Carpathians and the central Asia, which eventually led to a new definition of lithospheric plates. This new tectonic solution to the Continental crust of Eurasia represented an early step in the development of Plate Tectonics theory. On turning the pages of this story, the reader will gradually uncover the tensile forces beneath the real world of great scientists, with their frailties and their petty skirmishes, all leading to a climax which could not have been anticipated. This forms the backdrop to "The rat race" chapter, a closely run contest, punctuated by youthful exuberance. The enthusiasm paid off, as before the race was over, Constantin Roman lived through the beguiling excitement of beating a group of researchers, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to the answer to one of the great enigmas of Earth Sciences - the seismicity of Central Asia. Cocooned in his Cambridge microcosm and obsessed by his research, Roman was completely oblivious of a Trans-Atlantic team from MIT, working for years on the same problem as himself and gathering a wealth of information, which was about to be published. This sudden realisation came as a shock, as the very object of the hard-won evidence, which made the core of his Cambridge doctorate, was put in jeopardy, had the American colleagues published first their results. This is a unique instance when the reader could witness from within the researcher's camp, his battles, trials and final triumphs. During the fray, many doubts were cast, which inevitably confront every scientist. That is why, whilst in the throes of these struggles to the solution of a crucial scientific problem, one is never sure whether the pivotal new idea will be easily accepted by the geological profession, known more for its conservatism, than for its innovative spirit, or iconoclasm. Beyond the skirmishes of Science, or Scientists, "Continental Drift" is a song to the environment, which inspires research and where enduring ideas are created. These are the impressions that nurtured this author's imagination and which form the very essence of the story, an inter-reaction without which this work would not have been possible. They are the impact which Western Europe and England in particular, had upon a fresh graduate from behind the Iron Curtain. The contrast of cultures between East and West, between the author's preconceived, romantic and romanticised ideals of the West and the real life, was always exhilarating, as he was led through encounters with eminent contemporaries in the world of Arts, Science and Politics ("Lotus-eater"). The people, the architecture and the gardens that surrounded him in his student days and which formed a backdrop to his work, are remembered with a great deal of emotion and lyricism. If this scene is punctuated by irony and may be mixed with a good measure of Boswell-like frankness, I hope that the reader will forgive this author, as the intention was to present an unadulterated picture, as he saw it at that particular time. Opinions of those immature but blissful years are sometimes fraught with a youthful arrogance and therefore, those of us who figure in these pages must read them in a compassionate spirit. For, as we proceed, we must remember that this is not a textbook of popular science on the History of Plate Tectonics, but a series of personal impressions, or "cameos", which some day might complement such History of Science. As we turn the pages of this narrative, it is apparent that Constantin Roman's singular road to Utopia was littered with disappointments and setbacks, as the darker side of human imperfections was gradually uncovered. However these "Memoirs" are not intended as an exhaustive inventory of hardships, but rather as a Quixotic refusal in accepting them. On reading the book one may well ask: Would "Continental Drift" be a "looking glass" wherein one could see ourselves with the candid and unforgiving eye of the Continental "drifting" within our midst? Or, maybe, the resonance box of a musical instrument, which may amplify the "drift" of this Continental author? Or, would it rather be a History of Science book, defining the drift of Continents, or the beginnings of Plate Tectonics theory? At a first glance all these three aspects may appear diverse, yet they have perfectly complementary and harmonious meanings, which should account for the triple entendre of the very title of "Continental Drift". Professor Sherban VELICIU University of Bucharest , Scientific Director, Geological Survey of Romania Vice-Chairman Editorial Board, Romanian Journal of Geophysics |
|
..................................................................................................................................
Constantin Roman © 2000-2009. All Rights Reserved. Designed & Maintained by Delamain IT. |
