What do you do?
I study the history of life. I want to know when evolution occurred and when it did not. Although my research is concentrated on fossil and living shell-bearing animals like snails and clams, I apply the results to large scientific questions. I am especially interested in looking at the history of life on Earth from an economic point of view. This involves the study of technological innovations, the analysis of how workable ecosystems are constructed and maintained, and an understanding of how shifting availability of resources affects the everyday affairs of organisms in past and present ecosystems. The ultimate aim is to see what the economic history of life can tell us about how to construct human economies that are not dependent for their health on perpetual growth. On the way to these lofty goals, I am having a great time studying the classifications, architecture, and history of snails, whose beauty rivals that of any human artistic creation.