Tyrannosauron's Office Hour (Image heavy)

[Tyrannosauron]

Last year I was lucky enough to land a tenure-track teaching job at a small liberal arts college in the Pacific Northwest. Since then I've been fixing up my office to my liking. Come on in and take a look around!

I'll stick with dinosaur-related stuff in this post and follow up with other stuff in a different post.



This is the view as one enters. Godzilla is there to help out when students need to use the dry erase board.



These shelves are for collectibles that are strictly relevant to my work (philosophy of science, specifically in paleontology).



Close-up of the top shelf: Favorite Co. Triceratops & T. rex statues sculpted by Michael Trcic. Probably my two favorite pieces.



Close-up of the upper middle shelf: fossils & fossil replicas. Dinostoreus 1/4 scale T. rex skull; T. rex brain endocast; Allosaurus finger replica; T. rex tooth replica; real Daspletosaurus and Carcharadontosaurus teeth; and a print gifted to me by a close friend.



Close-up of the lower middle shelf: Thylacine stuff. These were visual aids I used during my dissertation defense.



Close-up of the bottom shelf: the "Big Golden Book of Dinosaurs" was signed by Bob Bakker when a student showed him one of my syllabi; the print on the right was commissioned by my wife from artist Kory Bing (the text reads, "Asteroids do not concern me ~Darth Vader"). The print in the middle is an Indiana Jones reference gifted by another friend.



The top of my bookcase. Signed copies of the four issues of Steve Bissette's "Tyrant" comic series run along the back; standing in front of them are a WS Archaeopteryx, a WWD3D Troodon, an Elenco T. rex skeleton, a Carnegie Beipiaosaurus, and a WS Oviraptor nest.



A WS Yutrannus guards my computer monitor...



...and a Battat Terra T. rex recently started guarding my phone.

In the next post: non-dino stuff.

[Tyrannosauron]

And here's some more of my office!



When I moved into town for the new job I packed all of my most valued collectibles in my own car rather than entrust them with the movers. Good thing, too: the movers were a month late and they didn't take very good care of anything. These shelves were supposed to hold everything until my apartment furniture arrived, but stayed the way they were when I realized that my office is in one of the most secure buildings in town.



Top shelf: "Gollum: How We Made Movie Magic" signed by Andy Serkis (and a NECA Gollum 1/4 scale figure); "All-Star Superman #10" signed by author Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely (and a DC Collectibles All-Star Superman statue); and "Star Wars: Heir to the Empire" signed by Timothy Zahn (and a Grand Admiral Thrawn bust from Gentle Giant).



Middle shelf: first print, first edition of "Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker," which was released a year before the film (with a Hasbro Mighty Muggs Darth Vader); the limited Millennium Edition printing of the Lord of the Rings trilogy (separated into the six books that Tolkien envisioned, with a Sideshow "Crack of Doom" diorama); Gift Edition copy of "Jurassic Park" signed by Michael Crichton (with a Papo standing Rex).



The bottom shelf is for stuffed animals and dolls. The T. rex was a welcome gift from my colleagues. I picked up the Sinclair Brontosaurus during the cross-country drive I took to move here. The dinosaurs are flanked by Unemployed Philosophers Guild dolls: Charles Darwin (left) and Leonardo da Vinci (right).



Darth Vader is always kind enough to hold my headphones.



Plato (foreground) and Darwin busts oversee all printing.



These prints hang above my monitor. On the left is a Captain America 50th Anniversary print signed by creators Jack Kirby & Joe Simon. in the middle is a page of original art, from the comic series "Action Philosophers," featuring Aristotle. On the right are mini "Godzilla" and "Star Wars: Clone Wars" posters.



This is my Star Wars corner. My colleagues tend to like this part of the office the most.

And that's it! Thanks very much for looking!

[Gwangi]

By far the coolest office I've ever seen! Fantastic. I could use some clarification on the LotR novels though. You said "six novels as Tolkein envisioned" but I was under the impression that Tolkein only wanted one large book and the publishers would not allow it?

[Arul]

Very interesting office room with all of dinosaur collection  btw what is your profession ? 

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

Impressive office and collection! May I ask where you found the Berlin Specimen cast?  I have one like it.

[Jetoar]

Lovely office  .

[tanystropheus]

Dream office 

[Dinomike]

Great office and awesome pieces!

[Halichoeres]

That's a pretty sweet office!

Last year I was lucky enough to land a tenure-track teaching job...

I'll be looking for one of those next year. Here's hoping my search goes half as well as yours, if only so I can get more space for dinosaurs.

[Tyrannosauron]

Thanks all for the kind words! I've got a bigger collection back in my apartment, but most of it is still waiting to be properly unpacked and displayed.

I could use some clarification on the LotR novels though. You said "six novels as Tolkein envisioned" but I was under the impression that Tolkein only wanted one large book and the publishers would not allow it?

I'll admit that I hadn't heard that. When I bought the seven-volume set (six books plus appendices) it was advertised as being split up "as the author intended." It's possible that both perspectives are correct: Tolkien was the George Lucas of his day, constantly fiddling with his work.

btw what is your profession ? 

I'm a philosophy professor. Most of my time is spent teaching logic and critical thinking. When I do research it's about philosophy of science. I should have papers coming out soon about how de-extinction can fit into evolutionary theory and how the logical structure of phylogenetic bracketing should be reconsidered. I'm also working on a book about using paleontology to teach philosophy.

May I ask where you found the Berlin Specimen cast?  I have one like it.

Can't say for sure; it was a gift from an ex-girlfriend. eBay seems the likeliest source.

I'll be looking for one of those next year. Here's hoping my search goes half as well as yours, if only so I can get more space for dinosaurs.

Good luck! Chances are good that I'll be asked to serve in a hiring committee soon, so feel free to get in touch if you want any insights. 

[SpittersForEver]

Hi, pretty stupid question but the tasmanian wolf skull is a replica, isn't it? If so where did you get it. thanks.

[DinoLord]

Hi, pretty stupid question but the tasmanian wolf skull is a replica, isn't it?

Wait, so he didn't hunt down the last remaining thylacine for its skull? 

[Arul]

Ohh that is great, i also studying about philosophy of science in medical faculty 

[triceratops83]

Excellent use of Godzilla.

[Halichoeres]

I'll be looking for one of those next year. Here's hoping my search goes half as well as yours, if only so I can get more space for dinosaurs.

Good luck! Chances are good that I'll be asked to serve in a hiring committee soon, so feel free to get in touch if you want any insights. 

Why thanks, that's very kind--you may regret the offer one day soon!

Incidentally, I'll be very interested in your thoughts on phylogenetic bracketing. As an evolution person, I have to think about character optimization problems all the time, and one appreciates new perspectives.

[Tyrannosauron]

Hi, pretty stupid question but the tasmanian wolf skull is a replica, isn't it?

Wait, so he didn't hunt down the last remaining thylacine for its skull? 

Ha! It still wouldn't generate as much outrage as that episode over Cecil the lion, unfortunately...

I got the skull replica from The Evolution Store in NY. Doesn't look like there are any left on the store's website. The company that made it is named Bone Clones: https://boneclones.com/product/wolf-tasmanian-skull-BC-012

[Roselaar]

I wish I had an awesome office like that...

[Battatitan]

Woah what an amazing place to work  Your colleagues are very lucky!

[Tyrannosauron]

Your colleagues are very lucky!

Some of them are luckier than I am: Sam Neill--Dr. Alan Grant himself--spoke on campus a few weeks ago. While I was away at a conference. 

[Libraraptor]

Pretty cool office! I kept asking myself how the rest of it might have looked like after watching your video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noazay31IZQ

Now I know! It seems we share three interests which became passions: dinosaurs, STAR WARS and philosophy. I find your presence here quite inspiring!