Reinout Willem van Bemmelen - Experiments in geology are far more difficult than in physics and chemistry

Experiments in geology are far more difficult than in physics and chemistry because of the greater size of the objects, commonly outside our laboratories, up to the earth itself, and also because of the fact that the geologic time scale exceeds the human time scale by a million and more times. This difference in time allows only direct observations of the actual geologic processes, the mind having to imagine what could possibly have happened in the past.

- Reinout Willem van Bemmelen

topic: Past, Differences, Mind, Geologic Time