Don’t fence us in

Abstract

When I was a graduate student around 1950 I used to read the entire Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. it was a pwoerful and inspiring educational experience, with an effect quite different from that of the more usual process of looking up a few articles in the chain of references in a subject of current interest. Reading the entire journal reveals how ideas, techniques, and seismologists appear and evolve. It is likely the best substitute for a firsthand personal experience with the early development of the field. And in spite of, or perhaps because of, the missteps, the wasted effort, and the lack of sophistication that those first volumes reveal, the reader can sense the opportunity and be inspired by the vibrancy of the young subject.