164-5 Penrose Medal: Collaboration, Curiosity, Rigor, and Refutability: The Importance of Not Being Afraid to be Wrong

Session: Advances and Applications of Geochemistry in Archaeology

Presenting Author:

Author:

Abstract:

More than fifty years ago, an unanticipated research opportunity catapulted me from Iowa to the remote shores of Lake Turkana. Little did I know that the experience of mapping the geology of a newly discovered hominin site would lead to studies of volcanic ash correlation; K-Ar dating; soil physics and chemistry; Grand Canyon floods; mass balance; global ecological and climate change; animal physiology; paleodiets; wildlife conservation; forensics; and nuclear waste.   It is no secret that my fascination with isotopes – stable, radioactive, radiogenic, and cosmogenic – link these seemingly disparate areas of research. Insights that resulted from this work have required deep understandings of the interplay between computation, laboratory measurements, field work, site selection, and, of course, theory.   My ideas about theory, shaped by many wide-ranging conversations with colleagues over the years, are influenced by the work of early twentieth century philosopher Karl Popper. By adopting his concept of refutability into the design of experiments, my focus has been to stress test hypotheses rather than focus on their confirmation.   This approach has resulted in a continual refinement of our existing knowledge as well as the development of unforeseen hypotheses – ones for the next generation to test with equal rigor and intellectual enjoyment.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-5806

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