Hi everyone,

My name's Lou, I'm from the UK and I'm 22. I was raised in a secular home (although I have extended family of all faiths) and have been an Atheist as long as I can remember. And it's not that I haven't questioned it, I have as a child and as an adolescent, but I do consider myself lucky that I wasn't raised under any specific dogma and was encouraged from a young age to make up my own mind.

I'm also an archaeologist, which ties in nicely. In fact, I've excavated sites that are far older than the Bible says Earth is! Fascinating eh! Eventually when I've finished all my training, I'd like to go into the Bioarchaeology or Forensic Anthropology field. I love Ancient DNA and bones...I don't know if that's creepy or not :-P.

Anyways, I'll take a look around...nice to meet you.

Lou

Very big welcome!

Ancient DNA sounds fascinating. Exactly how ancient are we talking here? I mean is there any chance of bringing back Neanderthal Man for a chat :S Although that would be so fascinating.

"Jesus wants me for a sunbeam" is creepy, what you're doing is incredible

(December 4, 2010 at 4:49 pm)Darwinian Wrote: Ancient DNA sounds fascinating. Exactly how ancient are we talking here? I mean is there any chance of bringing back Neanderthal Man for a chat :S Although that would be so fascinating.

"Jesus wants me for a sunbeam" is creepy, what you're doing is incredible

As ancient as we can get our hands on. I doubt I'd ever be privileged or important enough to work on the rare pre-neanderthal specimens, but who knows! A lot of the research I hope to be going into will be lab-based study of remains we already have - first understanding how skeletal remains preserve ancient biomolecules and then how we can interpret them and compare them with modern biomolecules. It's going to be interesting anyway and could do a lot to fill in the gaps between homo-species.

Unfortunately I don't think the prospect of resurrecting neanderthals is on the cards just yet!...you're right though, that would be amazing :-D

Welcome to the forums

Bioarchaeology sounds awesome

Welcome to the forums! My welcome is the only one that counts because I'm "the pretty one".

Welcome to AF.

Good to see another voice against the cacophony fundamentalism.