Tom Erickson's Home Page

Make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal, until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life. An individual human existence should be like a river — small at first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past rocks and over waterfalls. Gradually the river grows wider, the banks recede, the waters flow more quietly, and in the end, without any visible break, they become merged in the sea, and painlessly lose their individual being.— Bertrand Russell, How to Grow Old

	Welcome!
Present	I study (geology, mostly), read (essays & science fiction), and write (essays). I also hike, run, garden, and cook. And I am learning to play the piano. I welcome notes from friends and colleagues. I can be reached at .
Past	I retired in May of 2018. I do not consult; nor do I do reviews. My work was great fun, but there are many other things I'm curious about! If you're interested in my professional life, here's a one-page bio and a CV If you are looking for copies of publications or want more information: • Research lists topics I pursued, some of my favorite papers, and a few project archives. • Publications provides a comprehensive list of my papers and patents, and links to copies. • And a handful of slide shows can be found on slideshare.
Quotes I Like	Make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal, until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life. An individual human existence should be like a river — small at first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past rocks and over waterfalls. Gradually the river grows wider, the banks recede, the waters flow more quietly, and in the end, without any visible break, they become merged in the sea, and painlessly lose their individual being.— Bertrand Russell, How to Grow Old
Cool Links	In the old days people used to put collections of links they liked on their personal pages. I am resurrecting that custom, more for my own use than anything else. Geology-related: • Rock-of-the-Month (RotM a-z).: Detailed write-ups of particular specimens, by eminent mineralogist Graham Wilson. • Regional: Keweenaw Boulder Garden and Keweenewa Volcanics. In-depth information about Norther MN/MI Geology by Bill Rose of MTU.. • General: Alex Strekeisen Fantastic source of explanations and many many photos by Alessandro Da Mommio. Useful for novices and experts. • General: Mindat.org ponsored by Hudson Institute of Mineralogy: focused on minerals but good information on rocks. Useful for novices and experts. Other: • Bartoz Ciechanowski Animated Diagrams: This is worth looking at for the way in which animated diagrams and simulations are used to explain concepts. For instance, take a look at How GPS Works • Cloud Appreciation Society: A delightful organization, and you can get a free peek at the Cloud of the Day, and the Cloud of the Month to see if its for you.