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Welcome to this week's edition of the POB eNews...
Over the holiday weekend, my family and I ventured out to the movies to see "Indian Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." While I won't divulge any of the juicy details of what I deem a two-thumbs-up sequel, it's safe to talk about the spectacular scenery that made me leave the movie theater thinking about land surveying.
The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, where Indiana Jones and his team ended up, is located on a high, arid Peruvian plateau bedecked with
 ancient-and mysterious-geoglyphs. The enormous Nazca Lines, as they are called, are believed to have been created by the Nazca peoples between 200 B.C. and A.D. 700. A source of much study and even more speculation, the enormous figures range in complexity from simple geometric shapes to intricate hummingbirds, spiders, monkeys and lizards.
The precision with which these geoglyphs are made caused me to suspect that surveyors and their tools played a part in their creation. Alas, after a bit of research, I don't think we'll ever know for certain. But my research led to a modern-day geoglyph that I know for a fact has surveying written all over it, figuratively.
Last year, a group of Australian college students studying the latest applications in surveying technology and satellite imagery created an outline of a
 giant koala. It's so large, in fact, that the mammoth marsupial can be seen from space. The tools and techniques they used to create the geoglyph, which is twice the size of a football field, were a combination of herbicides, digging, mowing, marking paint and, yes, GPS and GIS technology.
The inspiration for the modern-day geoglyph may have been ancient, but it took cutting-edge technology to create it. This makes the Nazca Lines that much more impressive. It's a feat that I suspect Indiana Jones, himself, would give two thumbs up to.
-Wendy Lyons, Editor
P.S. Click the koala geoglyph to read more of the story.
This month, we want to know how you'd assess your work-related stress? Take a moment to vote in our Quick Poll at www.pobonline.com. |
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Coming up in POB...
July marks the return of the GEO Locator!
Today is your LAST CHANCE to get your listing in front of tens of thousands of surveyors. There is a listing perfect for every company and every budget. SPACE CLOSES TODAY, May 28! Contact Pam Deneau (Western U.S.) at 248/244.1283 or deneaup@bnpmedia.com or Karen Moore (Eastern U.S.) at 248/244.6464 or
moorek@bnpmedia.com. |
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CST/Berger introduces new rotary lasers
- AL-500H is an automatic self-leveling rotary laser that delivers professional performance with simple single-button operation at an affordable price
- AL-500HV is a horizontal/vertical, dual-beam, single-slope, interior/exterior rotary laser that delivers professional performance at an affordable price
- LD-90 is a low-cost electronic detector for rotary lasers built tough for indoor use.
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Amtrak has an opportunity for a surveying professional headquartered out of Philadelphia, Pa. The Principal Engineer Survey Technology & Geomatics plans and directs field survey and right-of-way mapping work on Amtrak-owned or maintained properties. Candidates need surveying experience and knowledge of surveying instruments and data collection devices, particulary GPS. Benefits include rail travel privileges.
EOE
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AEC Store Corner: HOT OFF THE PRESS
Prefurbia: Reinventing the Suburbs: From Disdainable to Sustainable
by Rick Harrison
Rick Harrison has planned and designed over 600 neighborhoods in 45 states and 10 countries. The builders and developers utilizing his methods have enjoyed tremendous success. Many of today's suburbs are not quite the retreat that were once imagined. Nor do they contain the natural spaces that once provided the character and desirability to live within a neighborhood.
Prefurbia does not provide a slight modification to the cookie-cutter designs we see today, it is rather drastic to some. However, if we want to encourage a sustainable lifestyle where people want to live within environmental constraints without sacrificing quality of life needs and economic concerns, Prefurbia provides a starting point. While it is not another book castigating sprawl, it does challenge the concept along with those of New Urbanism and Smart Growth. $89.85
CLICK HERE to purchase.
Visit AECstore.com to view our all of our surveying resources and products! Call Stephanie at 248-244-1275 with any questions. |
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Joke of the Week: Fun Facts
Next time you see a statue of a person mounted upon a horse, impress your friends and family with these fun facts ...
Problem: Surveying Instruments and Procedures: Optics
What objective lens design is used to minimize both spherical and chromatic aberrations in the optical systems of many surveying instruments?
(A) a double-convex objective lens
(B) a single-coated objective lens
(C) a compound lens of crown glass and flint glass
(D) a polarizing filter
Cool Link of the Week: NOAA History: A Nation at War
Since the time of the Civil War, NOAA's ancestor agencies have supported our armed services providing surveyors, maps, charts, weather forecasts, oceanographers and navigators to plan operations, transport men and material, and help put ordnance on target. This site tells some of their experiences and sacrifices at home and on the frontlines of battle.
Click to POB's Fun & Games page to access the rest of this week's posting. |
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A spirit of Detroit
Surveyor Philetus Norris helped get Yellowstone National Park on the map over a hundred years ago. Can his ghost help to revive a faltering Detroit neighborhood?
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BNP Media
2401 W. Big Beaver Road, Ste. 700
Troy, Michigan 48084-3333
U.S.A. | | |
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