RiverWeb

LINKING THE HUMANITIES AND SCIENCES

In building this prototype RiverWeb learning resource, we take the view that scientific understanding of the hidden processes shaping the behavior of rivers as systems, both natural and engineered, enriches the study of human settlement and its social, political, and cultural expressions. We therefore intend to develop and incorporate a variety of materials that demonstrate such linkages between the humanities and sciences.

TWISTS AND TURNS

Exploring the ways of the river and its peoples...

"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are words, and some of the words are theirs."
-Norman Maclean
A River Runs Through It

Rivers are shaped in time, yet seemingly timeless. Our nation's rivers, particularly the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, have played vital roles in shaping this country, physically, economically and culturally. The same is true of rivers in other parts of the world. Entire civilizations have risen and fallen with the fates of the rivers they depended on.

The story of the Native American city of Cahokia provides a dramatic example of this principle. To discover why and how this city arose and flourished in the floodplain we know today as the American Bottom, and equally important, what factors led to its dramatic decline, requires an approach to sleuthing commonly identified with "science."

Indeed, much beauty and complexity can be discerned in a river's flow. The study of the dynamics of a major river system such as the Mississippi necessarily embraces numerous branches of science, including hydrology, ecology and geomorphology, and many others. The resulting knowledge furthers our understanding of the multiple ways that humans and rivers interact over time. In this very real sense, science provides important context to the study of the humanities, including history.

Conversely, we also believe that the study understanding of history and culture provides relevance and context to the pursuit of science, both in research and education. After all, science is about understanding why and how things became the way they are now and how they will likely behave in the future. "Knowing" the past help us grasp the present and project or perhaps even choose between alternative futures.

Another, equally important linkage between the humanities and sciences derives from the methods and tools they share increasingly in practice. The creative tension between theory and observation that underlies the power of science as a method of inquiry is also applicable to the study of human society, and promises rich rewards. It is no surprise, then, that more and more historians and archeologists are employing the latest database, mapping and imaging tools in order to reconstruct the past and inspire their students to do likewise.

River science sections to be developed in a separate RiverWeb project include:

Watershed Science

Geographic Information Systems

Environmental Modeling

Other Sites of Interest

Glossary