• September 12
  
• September 11
  
• September 10
  
• September 9
  
• September 8
  
• September 7
  
• September 6
  

September 12, 2004

       Due to work in my other classes, I could not devote time to Mission today.

September 11, 2004

        I spent some time reading Fossils, Finches, and Fuegians.  There were many illustrations in the book, which helped me to visualize the materials presented in the text.  One excerpt that I found to be most revealing comes from page 307, where Darwin describes his first impression of the Galápagos:

       "These islands at a distance have a sloping uniform outline, excepting where broken by sundry paps and hillocks.  The whole is black lava, completely covered by small leafless brushwood and low trees.  The fragments of lava where most porous are reddish and like cylinders; the stunted trees show little signs of life.  The black rocks heated by the rays of the vertical sun like a stove, give to the air a close and sultry feeling.  The plants also smell unpleasantly.  The country was compared to what we might imagine the cultivated parts of the infernal regions to be."
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September 10, 2004

       Today we had our research methods seminar, which reviewed the many resources of the MIT libraries and other sources of information.  My team's library liaison, Mr. Silver, was there to introduce himself, and he gave us his contact information.  The minutes from this meeting can be viewed here.
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September 9, 2004

        I went to the Lindgren Library (Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences) and humanities library today to find some books on the Galápagos.  I succeeded in checking out Corals and Coral Reefs of the Galápagos Islands by P.W. Glynn and G.M. Wellington, UN's Guidelines on Integrated Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development, the Geological Society of America's Geology and Petrology of the Galápagos Islands, Galápagos Diary by H. Heinzel and B. Hall, The Fishes of the Galápagos Islands by J.S. Grove and R.J. Lavenberg, Galápagos Marine Invertebrates by M.J. James, Flowering Plants of the Galápagos by C.K. McMullen, Evolution's Workshop, by E.J. Larson, and Fossils, Finches, and Fuegians by R. Keynes.  All of these sources can be found in the bibliography section.
       In choosing which to review first, R. Keynes' book was a good start.  It details Darwin's 5-year adventure around the world.  Evolution's Workshop will be the next book to read, for that focuses more on the Galápagos and the idea of evolution, and how that idea has progresses through the years.  The book ends with a discussion of the current situation of the Galápagos.
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September 8, 2004

        Today we met as a class for the first time.  Our professor presented an overview of the class, explaining the three main assignments and the current status of the Galápagos.  The minutes from this meeting can be seen here.  I should note that some of the meeting minutes were compiled by my peers and sent to the whole section for us to reference.<>
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September 7, 2004

        Preparation for first day of classes tomorrow.
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September 6, 2004

        Labor Day