In March 2019, the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), organised a major Forum on Deep-time Digital Earth (DDE) in Beijing. That was followed by an official launch of this word-class project in Kunshan. More than 80 (30 International, > 50 Chinese) Scientists from many disciplines gave presentations demonstrating that data must be fully accessible (FAIR) for searching machines, through machine learning and AI techniques further translate, integrate and compile such information automatically in graphs, maps etc. To that end many still analogue information as currently present in paper archives should all be converted into digital format by dedicated machines. Various Chinese Institutes have made progress on that issue while involving the British Geological Survey (BGS). By today, the IUGS President Qiuming Cheng has found Chinese Ministries prepared to significantly invest in this development called Deep time Digital Earth (DDE). The municipality of Kunshan (near Shanghai) has financed a research Institute at the Kunshan University dedicated to DDE. During a spectacular Launch ceremony agreements were signed to that end. The meeting in Beijing provided us the opportunity to meet other ESM Partners; the YES Network and the International Association of Mathematical Geoscientists (IAMG, picture below).
During this visit to Beijing, ESM Partner PNSO was visited as well and issues of common interest were discussed with Dr LEE, the PNSO Director. PNSO is expanding its range of topics beyond Dinosaurs. PNSO showed interest in ESM’s ideas of VR displays of locations or regions and showed interest to contribute to such development. PNSO positively considers to have a booth and actively participate in the upcoming YES Conference in Berlin (see below) and in the International Geological Congress in India, March 2020.
