Four and a half billion years ago, gravitational attraction pulled together floating specks of stardust to form the planet Earth.  It is difficult for those of us not schooled in geology to visualize such timescales – after all, recorded human history only stretches back a few thousand years. 

A retired judge and law professor has created a public installation to help ordinary folks comprehend such massive periods of time.

Nick Schweitzer worked for many years as an Administrative Law Judge and referee hearing cases of professional misconduct on the part of lawyers and other professionals, and subsequently taught ethics at the University of Wisconsin Law School.  Since his retirement, he has written 13 plays, and served as President of the Free Congregation of Sauk County.

In his free time Schweitzer has designed scientific exhibits for Madison area parks.  His latest creation, installed this past weekend in Law Park on Madison’s isthmus, documents the history of the earth in a proportional timeline.  Nick Schweitzer visited the WORT studios to tell Monday Buzz host Brian Standing more about it. 

Web posting by Nicholas Wootton

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