Alejandra and I just got back from the national conference—15,000 people!—of the American Geophysical Union, our partner. We had the honor of speaking to several groups of students about our mentoring program, and as usual tried to make it as free-wheeling and conversational as possible.

When I got to the part where I explain that all our mentors are volunteers, in each session at least one student asked, unabashedly: "Why would they do that?" (or "What's in it for them?") They weren't being crass or cynical; it was an honest query about something that was beyond their ken: why would a busy professional bother to take on this commitment when it's not in their job description?

Of course, their question gave me the chance to talk about our thousands of mentors who every year do volunteer for this commitment to a stranger. Through our surveys, we have a very good idea of why they (you) do it, indeed we have literally thousands of testimonies gathered from more than a decade of asking our mentors what they got out of their MentorNet experience:

• "It renewed my interest and joy for my job."
• "I learn almost as much as I teach each time I mentor."
• "It helps keep me grounded. ... I am reminded of what can be important."


But the students' questions got me wondering, especially in this season of giving and hope: Is the generosity of mentors something inbred to our species, or something we learn as we grow? It's an age-old question, and surely there's no right or simple answer. I'm content with the explanation that like most human behaviors, altruism is the result of a complex mix of instinct, self-preservation, habit, social reward, roundabout self-interest, spiritual fulfillment, status, obligation... For me, the most distinct motive is the feeling that you get only from an act of generosity: that indefinable but very pure pleasure that lights up when you think your giving might have a positive effect on another. The internal sense of rightness that I hope doesn't become self-righteousness.

And then last night, as I was thinking some more about the student reaction, I realized it really highlighted another wonderful thing about MentorNet. Beyond all the explicit guidance and role modeling that a mentor gives a protege, there is also a strong, ever-present and implicit message in the mentor's ongoing behavior: Share. Be generous and selfless. That's part of being a complete professional, too.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) is tapping into wildly popular microblogging service Twitter to quickly pinpoint where and how brutally earthquakes hit.

The US agency that tracks and reports on all earthquakes in this country and major temblors around the world said terse text "tweets" can provide instant assessments of what is felt when the ground shudders. Read More