This paper was written for “Science in Society,” a History course given by Dr. Timothy Alborn that was part of Mark’s customized curriculum in the City University of New York Graduate Center’s Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program. It subsequently formed the basis for much of Mark’s masters thesis, The Unsustainability and Origins of Socioeconomic Increase.
Yearly Archives: 1999
Population Ecology and People
This paper was written for “Population Ecology,” a Biology course given by Dr. Robert Rockwell and Dr. John Oppenheimer that was part of Mark’s customized curriculum in the City University of New York Graduate Center’s Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program. Short though it may be, it subsequently formed the basis for crucial material in Mark’s masters thesis, The Unsustainability and Origins of Socioeconomic Increase.
Read the Population Ecology and People .pdf.
Happy Birthday to the Chukwu Octuplets on Good Morning America
The Chukwu Octuplets were born in Houston, TX, in December 1998. One died a week after birth. The remaining seven appeared on Good Morning America shortly afterward. They were invited back to the show to celebrate their first birthday, and Mark was invited to perform “Happy Birthday†on the piano for them.
The cake and audience enjoy Mark S. Meritt’s “Happy Birthday”
Diane Sawyer, Charlie Gibson and the Chukwu family sing “Happy Birthday”
Audience members sing another round of Mark S. Meritt’s birthday performance
Christmas Songs with Rosie O’Donnell on Good Morning America
Mark was invited to perform on the piano on Good Morning America for this special spot with Rosie O’Donnell. Known for her love of Christmas songs, Rosie played “name that tune,†with Mark playing snippets of Christmas songs and Rosie having to guess as many as she could in one minute. This was Mark’s first featured appearance on national television, and notable for Charlie Gibson referring to him incorrectly as “Matt.â€
Rosie’s Christmas Carol Challenge begins
Rosie O’Donnell guessing songs with 17 seconds to go
Charlie Gibson cheers on Rosie O’Donnell as Mark S. Meritt plays the final tunes
Scopes, Galileo and the Dramatization of Conflict
This paper was written for “Science in Society,” a History course given by Dr. Timothy Alborn that was part of Mark’s customized curriculum in the City University of New York Graduate Center’s Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program.
Read the Scopes, Galileo and the Dramatization of Conflict .pdf.
To Natural History, Re: Getting the Science Right
It’s amazing that people like John Terborgh and Alan Rabinowitz (“Nature’s Last Bastion,” September 1999), who want to “get the science right,” could overlook two crucial facts:
- Neither human population expansion nor economic growth are “given” absolutes. Invoking them to discount sustainability is flawed.
- “Keeping protected areas inviolate” is impossible when harmful substances can cross political boundaries through the air, soil and water table.
Imagining that economy and ecology could be separated is precisely what has gotten us where we are. When we acknowledge and act upon their integration, things will get better. Until then, nothing will.
The Nature of Titanic: Film, Phenomenon and Inevitable Self-Betrayal
This paper was written for “Environmental Sociology,” a Sociology course given by Dr. Sharon Zukin that was part of Mark’s customized curriculum in the City University of New York Graduate Center’s Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program. It explores the various meanings of the film Titanic
Dr. Zukin called it “totally original.”
Read the The Nature of Titanic: Film, Phenomenon and Inevitable Self-Betrayal .pdf.
The Social Full House: Circumscription and the Evitability of Complexity
This paper was written for “The Rise of Civilization,” an Anthropology course given by Dr. Gregory Johnson that was part of Mark’s customized curriculum in the City University of New York Graduate Center’s Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program. It subsequently formed the basis for much of Mark’s masters thesis, The Unsustainability and Origins of Socioeconomic Increase.
Read the The Social Full House: Circumscription and the Evitability of Complexity .pdf.
The Unexplainable Bonefish
This was a proposed television series in which host Dr. Wiley Bonefish and a crew of puppet lab assistants would humorously help kids explore paranormal science using the scientific method.
Read the The Unexplainable Bonefish – Series Proposal .pdf.
© 2000 Edwin Budd, Tamara Budd, Mark Meritt and Alex Diehl
Read the The Unexplainable Bonefish – First Episode Abridged Teleplay .pdf.
Listen to The Unexplainable Bonefish – Theme.
The blend of strangeness and fun that was to define the series led to the scores of Danny Elfman as inspiration for the theme music. Learn more about Potluck’s custom instrumental composition service which uses Appreciative Inquiry to draw out your needs and desires as the basis for an original instrumental composition.
You can listen to the whole piece via this YouTube video by just pressing the Play button immediately below. Or, you can visit YouTube to see the video or post a comment.
Music 
& © 2007, 1999 Mark S. Meritt
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MarkSMeritt.com Headlines
- Accredited Simply Music Teacher
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- Author; Lost, Found: An Ongoing Look at the Meaning of a Landmark Television Series
- Relaunched marksmeritt.com as an interactive resume and biography website
- Founder, Webmaster; MarkSMeritt.com