From paleontological collections to the Paleontological Museum of Lviv University as an object of historical, cultural and natural values

The creation of the Paleontological Museum of Lviv University is the implementation of one of many projects of scientists of geologists and paleontologists in the territory of first Eastern Europe, and later modern Western Ukraine. The foundation of the «temple of muses» of geological sciences (natural sciences, Earth sciences) and their component of paleontology in the West of Ukraine is the stage of formation of geological (paleontological) research and the Lviv geological (paleontological-stratigraphic) school at the Lviv University. The beginning and development of natural sciences – geology and paleontology on a global scale became the basis for the creation of the Geological Faculty and the Department of Historical Geology and Paleontology (1945) at the Lviv University, and the Geological/Paleontological Museum acquired importance in the study, collection, conservation, protection, and popularization of Earth Sciences among various segments of the population. The history of the foundation and the development of the Geological/Paleontological Museum of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv is covered. Prerequisites that contributed to the foundation of the Paleontological Museum are given, the scientific and theoretical concept based on it, the directions of research and the results of achievements of each stage are substantiated. The museum place in the «spectrum» of historical, cultural and natural values has been clarified. The scientific research works of different generations of geologists and paleontologists over the 200-year history and their contribution to the development of Earth Sciences were analyzed. Its significance as a cultural and spiritual center for the development of society is highlighted. The description of the activity of the scientific goals of various political systems in which the territories of the West of Ukraine were located and their contribution to the development of the Paleontological Museum is given. The structure and classification of natural objects (fossils, naturals) of museum collections and foundations by purpose and significance have been determined. Modern and further trends in the development of the Paleontological Museum have been clarified. Fundamental, research, educational and informative, cultural, propaganda aspects of the Paleontologic Мuseum are shown.

The Institute of Geology of Mexico and Its Precedents: History and Legacy

In 2019, the Institute of Geology celebrated its ninetieth anniversary as part of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). The main establishment in Mexico for the teaching, research, and dissemination of the geological sciences, it is an institution with a long history and a great scientific legacy. It dates back to the 19th century, since it is the heir to the Geological Institute of Mexico (1888), the first institute in the Mexican republic to carry out research in the geological sciences and to study the country’s territory from three points of view: scientific, technical, and industrial. It was conceived by the mining engineer Antonio del Castillo (1820–1895) to meet the need to scientifically explore the country’s latent mineral wealth, for which reason its functions included: mapping regions whose lithology and resources were unknown, providing specialized services to the public—the analysis and classification of water, rocks, land, fossils, minerals, and oil—and creating a geological and paleontological museum for the nation. From 1888 to 1917, the institution was part of the Ministry of Development, Colonization, Industry, and Commerce (Ministerio de Fomento, Colonización, Industria y Comercio). In 1917, the Venustiano Carranza administration promulgated a new constitution, reformed governmental administration, and created the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Labor (Secretaría de Industria, Comercio y Trabajo), which was responsible for all questions related to industries such as mining and oil. Although it lapsed somewhat between 1917 and 1929, during the armed conflict of the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920), the Institute of Geology of Mexico was assigned to the Department of Geological Studies and Explorations, with the task of carrying out applied science through the study of new and old mining areas and the location of aquifers. A new scenario emerged in 1929 when the administration of President Emilio Portes Gil enacted the Organic Law of the National University, granting the latter university autonomy, which also allowed institutions of a scientific nature such as the National Astronomical Observatory, the National Library, the Department of Biological Studies, and the National Geological Institute to carry out research as one of their substantive activities. On November 16, 1929, the former Department of Geological Studies and Explorations was incorporated in the most important scholarly institution of Mexico under the name of the Institute of Geology.

The Science of Stories: Human History and the Narrative Philosophy of Science

<p>There is a pronounced tendency within contemporary philosophy of history to think of historical knowledge as something apart from the kind of knowledge generated in the sciences. This has given rise to a myriad of epistemological issues. For if historical knowledge is not related to the scientific, then what is it? By what logic does it proceed? How are historical conclusions justified? Although almost the entirety of contemporary philosophy of history has been dedicated to such questions, there has been little real and agreed upon progress. Rather than fire yet another salvo in this rhetorical war, however, this thesis wishes instead to examine what lies beneath the basic presumption of separatism which animates it. Part One examines several paradigmatic examples of twentieth century philosophy of history in order to identify the grounds by which their authors considered history fundamentally different in kind from the sciences. It is concluded that, in each case, the case for separatism fows from the pervasive assumption that any body of knowledge which might rightly be called a science can be recognised by its search for general laws of nature. As history does not seem to share this aim, it is therefore considered to be knowledge of a fundamentally different kind. This thesis terms this the "nomothetic assumption." Part Two argues that such nomothetic assumptions are not an accurate representation of either scientific theory or practice and therefore that any assumption of separatism based upon them is unsound. To do this, examples of acknowledged scientific problems from the biological and geological sciences which do not involve the use of general laws are examined, with the aim of discovering how these historical disciplines are able to do the work of explanation in their absence. They do so, it is concluded, through a mechanism of epistemic (as opposed to literary) narrative. Having thus identified how historical sciences proceed without making direct use of laws, Part Two then generalises this model of scientific narrative and shows how it can be used to model existing practices in human history. This conclusion has far-reaching consequences, for it brings a single definition, method, and logic of confirmation to all studies of the past – whether traditionally acknowledged as scientific or historical. Thus all historical enquiries proceed by a common logic and by a common method. This effectively and definitively places human history among the sciences, without the need for the kind of radical transformation past attempts to do this have required.</p>

The Science of Stories: Human History and the Narrative Philosophy of Science

<p>There is a pronounced tendency within contemporary philosophy of history to think of historical knowledge as something apart from the kind of knowledge generated in the sciences. This has given rise to a myriad of epistemological issues. For if historical knowledge is not related to the scientific, then what is it? By what logic does it proceed? How are historical conclusions justified? Although almost the entirety of contemporary philosophy of history has been dedicated to such questions, there has been little real and agreed upon progress. Rather than fire yet another salvo in this rhetorical war, however, this thesis wishes instead to examine what lies beneath the basic presumption of separatism which animates it. Part One examines several paradigmatic examples of twentieth century philosophy of history in order to identify the grounds by which their authors considered history fundamentally different in kind from the sciences. It is concluded that, in each case, the case for separatism fows from the pervasive assumption that any body of knowledge which might rightly be called a science can be recognised by its search for general laws of nature. As history does not seem to share this aim, it is therefore considered to be knowledge of a fundamentally different kind. This thesis terms this the "nomothetic assumption." Part Two argues that such nomothetic assumptions are not an accurate representation of either scientific theory or practice and therefore that any assumption of separatism based upon them is unsound. To do this, examples of acknowledged scientific problems from the biological and geological sciences which do not involve the use of general laws are examined, with the aim of discovering how these historical disciplines are able to do the work of explanation in their absence. They do so, it is concluded, through a mechanism of epistemic (as opposed to literary) narrative. Having thus identified how historical sciences proceed without making direct use of laws, Part Two then generalises this model of scientific narrative and shows how it can be used to model existing practices in human history. This conclusion has far-reaching consequences, for it brings a single definition, method, and logic of confirmation to all studies of the past – whether traditionally acknowledged as scientific or historical. Thus all historical enquiries proceed by a common logic and by a common method. This effectively and definitively places human history among the sciences, without the need for the kind of radical transformation past attempts to do this have required.</p>

Determination of Carbonate Concentrations in Calcareous Soils with Common Vinegar Test

Calcareous soils are those that have free calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and have pH values in the range of 7.0 to 8.3. If they are managed properly, calcareous soils can be used to grow any crop. Before employing any management practices, it is important to know how much carbonate exists in the soil. Soil carbonate is usually quantified by acid dissolution followed by the volumetric analysis of the released carbon dioxide (CO2). In geological sciences, a simple acid test consists of placing a drop of dilute hydrochloric acid on a rock or mineral and observing if there are CO2 bubbles released; the bubbles indicate the presence of carbonate minerals. The household test below uses vinegar and other simple instruments to estimate soil carbonate concentration. Minor revision with an added author.

TO THE MEMORY OF VOLODYMYR MYKOLAYOVYCH SHOVKOPLYAS (October 15, 1929 — May 4, 2021)

The article is dedicated to Volodymyr Shovkoplyas, the famous scientist and researcher in the field of general geology, geochronology, paleogeography and stratigraphy of the quarter, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, Professor, Leading Researcher of the Department of Anthropogene Geology of the Institute of Geological Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

Deep-water deposits of the Eocene Tyee Formation, Oregon

ABSTRACT The Eocene Tyee Formation of west central Oregon, USA, records deposition in a forearc basin. With outcrop exposures of fluvial/deltaic to shelf and submarine fan depositional environments and known sediment sourcing constrained by detrital zircon dating and mineralogy linked to the Idaho Batholith, it is possible to place deposits of the Tyee Formation in a source-to-sink context. A research program carried out by the Department of Geological Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin and ExxonMobil Research Company’s Clastic Stratigraphy Group has reconstructed the Eocene continental margin from shelf to slope to basin floor using outcrop and subsurface data. This work allows us to put observations of individual outcrops into a basin-scale context. This field trip will visit examples of depositional environments across the entire preserved source-to-sink system, but it will focus on the deep-water deposits of the Tyee Formation that range from slope channels to proximal and distal basin-floor fans. High-quality roadcuts reveal the geometry of slope channel-fills in both depositional strike and dip orientations. Thick, sand-rich medial fan deposits show vertical amalgamation and a high degree of lateral continuity of sandstones and mudstones. Distal fan facies with both classic Bouma-type turbidites and combined flow or slurry deposits are well exposed along a series of new roadcuts east of Newport, Oregon. The larger basin-scale context of the Tyee Formation is illustrated at a quarry in the northern end of the basin where the contact between the oceanic crust of the underlying Siletzia terrane and submarine fan deposits of the Tyee Formation is exposed. The Tyee Formation provides an excellent opportunity to see the facies and three-dimensional geometry of deep-water deposits, and to show how these deposits can be used to help reconstruct ancient continental margins.