Snowball Maine

As I sat at my computer attempting to study for my midterms this afternoon I realized there was a startling connection between my work and the real world. As part of my midterm for my geology class I have to write a paper on the Snowball Earth hypothesis. The theory, in basic terms, states that during the Neoproterozoic Era (roughly 700-500 million years ago) the earth went through 2 severe glacial events during which the planet was completely covered in ice and snow. Temperatures reached -50 degrees celsius and ice covering the earth was more than 1km thick. As I described the harsh conditions I looked outside and saw heavy snow falling and wind blowing snow against my window. For a brief moment I pictured the intense snow never stopping and being buried alive beneath the ice. Eventually I snapped back to reality and realized that I had been looking at the computer screen too long and that a break might help stop my mind from wandering. Reflecting on the situation now I think it is really interesting how school work can be so closely related to the real world. Alright maybe picturing the world covered in ice after looking outside was a bit of a stretch but I think you understand what I’m getting at.