Paper short abstract:

Geological insights promise innovative solutions to many contemporary ecological problems. Yet, it is unclear if these insights can be fully captured/conveyed in established knowledge forms. I argue an inherently unwritable epistemic form exists here, that must be experienced in an embodied fashion.

Paper long abstract:

Geology, a relatively young science, has a wealth of insights; particularly for conceptions of time, and how these are scientifically approached.

The focus is not just comprehending the precise extent of world history, but also the value of time – a (human) sense of temporal values. If Earth is slightly older than humanity, our actions appear more significant than us being just a radar-blip. Frodeman’s 1995 'Geological Reasoning' discusses the discovery of ‘Deep Time’ influencing our normative response to temporal matters; Time has relative value, affected by the extent of world history itself.

I use this discussion to argue that established formats limit scientific communication as these do not fully capture such geological knowledge, in which something is often lost or incomplete when not experienced first-hand. Further, here lies discrimination against local knowledge, with bias against ‘unscientific’ conduct such as employing imagination; Keith Basso’s 1996 'Wisdom Sits in Places' accounts for (overlooked) indigenous views on the matter.

Much geological knowledge is based on imagination – the field is a space of interpretation. Fieldwork is dynamic, concerning uncontrollable phenomena that are nonsensical when not understood in the full context. In this epistemic situation it as rational to feel that one’s hand traverses millions of years of rock layers, as to accept a peer-reviewed study that challenges our instincts. Whilst text transmits technic and theory, acceptance of temporal reality requires an embodied experiencing that I shall argue is a viable alternate knowledge form free of the material trends of contemporary print culture.