The progress of science—and the future of humanity—depends on funding from federal agencies. Organizations like the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NASA are funded by taxpayers, and their budgets are determined by Congress. Recently, President Donald Trump's proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 included deep cuts that could severely impact research, graduate education, science outreach, and more. In this video, I share a few examples and casually reflect on the importance of science funding. I’m deeply grateful for the support that makes research possible, and I hope this video helps clarify what’s at stake. *TIMESTAMPS:* 0:00 Hi & Introduction 0:32 Video Purpose 1:01 Overview of Federal Funding 2:54 Proposed Budget Cuts 4:25 Impact on Students (i.e., America's future scientists) 5:32 Personal Anecdote 7:08 KEEP FUNDING SCIENCE! *LINKS TO RELEVANT ARTICLES:* https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01361-z https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01396-2 https://www.science.org/content/article/final-nsf-budget-proposal-jettisons-one-giant-telescope-amid-savage-agencywide-cuts *FULL NSF BUDGET PROPOSAL FY26:* https://www.nsf.gov/about/budget/fy2026 *FULL NASA BUDGET PROPOSAL FY26:* https://www.nasa.gov/fy-2026-budget-request/ *CONTACT CONGRESS TO SUPPORT SCIENCE:* https://www.sciencecoalition.org/resources/contact-your-member-of-congress/ Follow Caden if you want: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cadenhowlett/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cadenjhowlett Twitter: https://twitter.com/cadenhowlett www.cadenhowlett.com #earth #geology #science #funding #humanity

Measuring strike and dip is one of the primary techniques field geologists use to determine the orientation of rocks in space. It is extremely common for undergraduate students (and even graduate students and professional geologists) to feel confused about how this measurement is taken. The Brunton compass is a standard piece of field gear that allows for the measurement of strike and dip (among many other things). In this video, I share a quick outcrop example from the field in northern Utah and walk through a simplified lesson on how I use the right-hand rule to measure strike and dip. Below you will find some helpful resources that introduce the components of the Brunton and provide context for taking the measurement. As an undergrad, I struggled with this and teaching I have seen dozens of students confused by the concept. If I could give one piece of advice: practicing taking measurements in the field is by far the most effective way to get a better intuitive understanding of how it works. Thanks for watching – I hope it’s helpful. And as always feel free to reach out with questions or for clarification. *TIMESTAMPS:* 0:00 You Are Struggling 0:18 Find Bedding 0:33 Right Hand Rule 1:20 Using Brunton Compass 2:38 Goodbye homies *LINKS TO HELPFUL MATERIAL:* https://geo.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Geology/Geological_Structures_-_A_Practical_Introduction_(Waldron_and_Snyder)/01%3A_Topics/1.02%3A_Orientation_of_Structures https://utoronto.scholaris.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/908ee625-4472-4606-8819-d5f13f43af56/content https://www.brunton.com/ Follow Caden if you want: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cadenhowlett/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cadenjhowlett Twitter: https://twitter.com/cadenhowlett www.cadenhowlett.com #earth #geology #science #structuralgeology #fieldgeology

Many Earth scientists use geographic information science/systems (GIS) in their work. This video has two goals: 1) emphasize that the creation and admiration of MAPS is a huge part of being a geologist. Many of us are fortunate to have the opportunity to create maps of our own – I hope you see some of my passion for this aspect of our science, and 2) give a simple tutorial for how to gather and manipulate digital elevation model (DEM) data to create a crisp hillshade in Esri’s ArcGIS Pro. I hope you find this video interesting. LINKS: https://dwtkns.com/srtm30m/ https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/3741/topography-of-the-world https://www.esri.com/about/newsroom/arcwatch/create-amazing-hillshade-effects-quickly-and-easily-in-arcgis-pro/ If you would like to support my science communication efforts, I have a Patreon where I share my favorite films, music, books, podcasts, and more: https://www.patreon.com/cadenhowlett. There is an accumulating number of Patron-only YouTube videos on the platform. Any contribution on Patreon goes directly back into this platform. My first book was published on January 26, 2024, it is available at the following link: https://a.co/d/gBteB2Z TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Hi & Introduction 2:20 Downloading DEM tiles 4:53 Importing DEM into ArcPRO 6:30 Mosaic tiles to new raster 8:15 Enhancing a hillshade 13:05 Creating map layout 15:10 Final comments Follow Caden: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cadenhowlett/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cadenjhowlett Twitter: https://twitter.com/cadenhowlett www.cadenhowlett.com #earth #geology #science #phd #gis #cartography #maps

A simple one-take video from the High Andes of Chile describing what it means to create a geologic map. Field geologists go out into the mountains and do their best to determine the spatial relationship between different lithologies with different ages. Sometimes geologic structures like faults and folds are required to explain the observed distribution of rocks at Earth’s surface. A finished geologic map provides much valuable information on the local to regional geologic history of an area. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Hi & Introduction 0:22 What is Geologic Mapping? 3:42 Find your place in geology! 4:06 Goodbye This expedition was partially covered by a grant from the American Philsophical Society and the Lewis and Clark Exploration and Research Fund. More information on this grant can be found here: https://www.amphilsoc.org/grants/lewis-and-clark-fund-exploration-and-field-research Follow Caden: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cadenhowlett/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cadenjhowlett www.cadenhowlett.com #earth #geology #science #phd #gis #cartography #maps

A geologic map is a graphical representation of the distribution of different types of rock and sediment at the Earth's surface. This video shows the easy yet under appreciated workflow to access and download geologic maps that can be loaded into Google Earth Pro. As I show, this is an enlightening and fun way to visualize geology after a hike or walk through nature. I hope you find something in this video interesting or valuable. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 An Unexpected Start 0:54 Introduction 1:50 Downloading Geologic Maps for Google Earth 4:38 The Legend Melville Mudge 5:10 Downloading and Opening in Google Earth 7:33 My Hike and Real Example of How I Use Google Earth 11:21 Tour de Tucson and Conclusions _LINKS:_ *National Geologic Map Database from USGS* https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/ *Download Google Earth Pro for Free!* https://www.google.com/earth/about/versions/ If you would like to support my science communication efforts, I have a Patreon where I share my favorite films, music, books, podcasts, and more (https://www.patreon.com/cadenhowlett). There are an accumulating number of Patron-only YouTube videos on the platform. Any contribution on Patreon goes directly back into this platform. Follow Caden: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cadenhowlett/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cadenjhowlett Twitter: https://twitter.com/cadenhowlett www.cadenhowlett.com #earth #geology #science #phd #gis #cartography #maps

In this video, I give an informal overview of most the gear I bring on expeditions to the high Andes for geologic field work. This will be helpful if you are an undergraduate approaching field camp, or even simply your first field experience. Of course, you DO NOT need all the things I show in this video. I highlight the unfortunate fact that getting durable and protective gear can be very expensive (in some cases preventing people from being able to pursue their passion). But hopefully it is also made clear that you don’t need the NICEST stuff out there. I get by with lots of old and second-hand materials in some of the most rugged environments on Earth. Please let me know if you have any questions – and thank you for accepting my casual delivery. A lot on my mind prior to an expedition! Let me know if you have questions about gear, including if you face barriers to access adequate field gear. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Hi & Introduction 1:48 Gear Overview 18:38 Closing Statements Thumbnail photograph by Chance B. Ronemus (March 2024) If you would like to support my science communication efforts, I have a Patreon where I share my favorite films, music, books, podcasts, and more. There is an accumulating number of Patron-only YouTube videos on the platform. Any contribution on Patreon goes directly back into this platform. https://www.patreon.com/cadenhowlett Follow Caden: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cadenhowlett/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cadenjhowlett Twitter: https://twitter.com/cadenhowlett www.cadenhowlett.com #earth #geology #science #phd #argentina #andes #hiking