Short Note A short tour through the Stanford Exploration Project con- tributions to anisotropy

Browsing through the countless Stanford exploration Project (SEP) reports, I was amazed to find a large number of quality papers that tackle the sensitive issue of anisotropy. The amazement stems from the fact that a hidden principle, which states “anisotropy is not an important”, existed in SEP. This principle evolved from statements like “If you believe in anisotropy!” and “avoid the two A’s (anisotropy and AVO)” uttered by SEP’s leader and chief executive, Jon Claerbout, through the years. Despite such statements Jon has maintained an environment in SEP that allows its students to work on any subject they desire. The fact that some students choose anisotropy is a testament to the importance of this subject, and a testament to Francies Muir (past SEP professor and a devote anisotropist) positive influence on the group.