When we’re young, and in school, we learn some of the basics of history, of life and some topics that may completely slip our mind. One such topic is plate tectonics. It’s there – and always has been – right under our feet, with us blithely never thinking about it, even though, over millennia, it has shaped not only the earth that we walk upon, but also twisting and turning our political aspirations, over time.
So, why in this hip and connected world should we even think about and – even more importantly give a hoot? Watch the video below, courtesy of Eons, and understand why we may not actually be who we think we are. And we may not know where we think we are, but we’re actually not. Better double-check your passport expiration dates.
OK, here’s a concrete (pun intended) reason why following the changes in the planet are worth understanding. For example, Plate tectonics provides an explanation for the movement of continents over millions of years. The theory of continental drift suggests that continents are not fixed but rather move on the surface of the Earth. As plates move, continents carried by those plates also shift. This movement has shaped the arrangement of continents we see today and continues to slowly change their positions. So, perhaps you might think you (or, more likely, ancient relatives) were born in this city at this time, but it then transpires that their birthplace doesn’t even exist, or hundreds if not thousands of kilometers away in the present day.
So far, this has all been rather scientific and, to a degree, philosophical. You may be asking “what’s in it for me”? Why should I care? Well, first of all, staying on top of science is not a waste of time. Secondly, you may end up having a mansion somewhere that actually belonged to a landed gentry in your bloodline. Even if you can’t storm the mansion and declare it for yourself, at least you can stand outside, point at it with pride and say “that was once mine.”
Finally, more practical uses for understanding tectonics is not only fun and fascinating, it is also real. You can touch it.
Stay close to the earth. The Bakkaflöt Guesthouse in Silfrastaðir. Click here to book.
Find yourself in Iceland (for example.)
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