Those without maths should not despair
Sir, Ken Vines is quite off the mark when it comes to his “and maths is always going to be the most important”. I have always considered geology to be an art as much as a science. As a retired senior geologist with Anglo American my working career was on several important Copperbelt mines and prospects. We had the geophys and geostat chaps when we needed them but there was one amazing occasion when a quite senior chap who had come up the geo-maths ladder looked at the specimen I had picked up and said “what’s that”. I said it was the local tillite. He said “don’t be ridiculous we are in the middle of Africa, it’s hot around here”.
I certainly achieved a maths ‘O’ level but further studies were limited to biology, chemistry and physics to “A” level. I entered University quite late having been through Teacher Training, qualifying in biology and rural science, and then teaching general science. My university course was intended to be biology and chemistry. I missed the first chemistry lecture and was told to read chapter one of a physical chemistry book. It was quite unintelligible mainly due to the maths content. My personal tutor said “I think there are still places on the geology course”. I have never looked back.
To those without maths, do not despair.