I remember getting dinosaur books from my grandmother about as far back as I can remember. Loving dinosaurs as a kid is almost second nature. I also remember being disappointed with learning about dinosaurs in school every year. Whenever it was time to learn about dinosaurs, it was never enough. Dinosaur day in second grade turned into a single textbook page by high school. An academic footnote for a period of 165 million years of Earth’s history. Maybe it’s not surprising that as adults, we get funny looks when showing enthusiasm for dinosaurs. But I’ve loved dinosaurs my entire life. That’s what Dinosaur Culture is. A life-long appreciation for dinosaurs.
Dinosaur culture doesn’t need to be a different t-shirt or necklace for each day of the week. You also don’t have to read every dinosaur article published in scientific journals. Dinosaur culture should be like your favorite TV show. You bring it up at work, or maybe to some friends or family, talk about what’s new, and then move on. It doesn’t have to be weird to hear someone talk about dinosaurs, anymore than it is to hear someone talking about their hobby. It’s OK to like dinosaurs as an adult. They weren’t fluffy creatures that you could give to your kids as pets. They were wild, violent, and brutal animals like the tigers and crocodiles of today. Watching Animal Planet or National Geographic animal documentaries is pretty normal for an adult. Biologists studying animals like lions or sharks in the field. A dinosaur documentary would be the same. Dinosaurs are animals too. I’m not saying you should watch a fossil excavation live stream, I’m just pointing out that liking dinosaurs is the same as liking a bear or a wolf. Except dinosaurs are bigger, faster, meaner – which stereo-typically makes things more grown-up anyway.
So in a nutshell, I want dinosaur culture to be seen as a life long experience. Something more than just a childhood phase. You don’t have to be a paleontologist to talk about dinosaurs. Whether that means sharing the latest species discovery, or retelling the amazing experience where you got wasted by a velociraptor in a game. Dinosaur culture is for all ages, and I’m going to prove it to you if you’ll give me a chance. Bookmark this site, follow me on Twitter @DinosaurCulture, and coming soon you can subscribe on YouTube. I’ll prove you can be a part of dinosaur culture without keeping those little plastic dinosaurs on your desk at work.
But you still can if you want…