The epoch of mankind
by Madison Jones
has reached a swift conclusion—
over before it began.
For the past 15 years, a panel of scientists, the international Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS), have deliberated on whether to recognize the Anthropocene as an official epoch in our planet’s geological timeline. In March 2024, the panel voted against officially recognizing the term, with twelve members opposed and four in favor. The term has been widely used by both scientists and humanist scholars, and so it presents an interesting example of how scientific deliberation impacts interdisciplinary areas of research.
Further reading:
‘Geologists reject the Anthropocene as Earth’s new epoch – after 15 years of debate’, 2024, Witze, A., Nature. Available: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00675-8
Author bio:
Madison Jones is an assistant professor in the departments of Professional & Public Writing and Natural Resources Science at the University of Rhode Island. His poetry collections are Losing the Dog (Salmon Poetry, forthcoming) and Reflections on the Dark Water (Solomon & George). His poems appear in Southern Review, Prairie Schooner, Michigan Quarterly, and elsewhere.
You can find out more about Madison’s research, writing and poetry at madisonpjones.com and catch up with him on X/Twitter: @poetrhetor.