Guess what? Last weekend I shattered all my expectations and did just that. I was in a mine, with some very unfashionable sailor-mouthed geologists, who drove big trucks with little red flags on them. I trudged through wet, sticky muck (official mining word) and stood next to a scary machine with wheels as tall as two of my abnormally tall little brothers. It was an adventure.
We like to lick rocks in geology. Some are salty and some stick to your tongue and sometimes you just need to know. And in the mines there were quite a few rocks I couldn’t keep my tongue off of. However, I learned one very important lesson about using your taste buds as chemical indicators. In case you ever happen to be in the bottom of a mine, let me share:
This is chrysocalla.
Totally lickable. It sticks to your tongue or, in some cases, really sweaty palms.
(also a source of copper, super cool!!!)
This is realgar.
See how pretty?? I know you’re salivating, but don’t lick it! Just don’t! It’s 90% arsenic (something I knew) and can poison you (something I didn’t believe). Totally not lickable. Still take-home-and-show-your-friends-who-probably-don’t-care-able.
So there’s your geology lesson for the day. You can thank me later.
