A case of present-day geological gigantism

Gigantism is known from the geological past, but-in another form-also from nowadays. The most obvious types of present-day gigantism are related to in formation transfer. New technologies enable scientists to communicate quick er than ever before, but personal contacts remain of utmost importance. One of the most efficient and effective means of personal communication are co nferences. Some well-established geological conferences are attended by sev eral thousands of participants; they offer numerous parallel sessions with, in addition, abundant meetings of associated geological organizations or w orking groups. It seems worthwhile to weigh the pros and cons of this recen t form of geological gigantism. It is concluded that the earth sciences str ongly need smaller and more transdiciplinary oriented meetings -possibly ba ck to back -for effective exchange of information. (C) 2001 Elsevier Scienc e B.V. All rights reserved.