Felsic and Mafic Rock Types

 

Science Education: What It Takes To Be A Scientist

Motivation: We Are All Scientists Now
Anything can be science...and any detail could be important...(example: Future Perfect Moon Rock episode)

What it takes To Be A Scientist
Attention. You have to care.  Notice something.
Passion. You really get into something. Become an expert. This is more important than grades, social approval, etc.  Do you know what you're talking about?  Be Authentic.
Record.  Journal. Journaling.  Observations, names, dates. Data.
Analyze.  Logic!  Math!
Share.  This used to mean publishing in a journal.  Now it means put it on the cloud somehow: blog, social media, whatever.
Engage.  hang out with other people who share your interest.  This last step can be overwhelming and counterproductive if you skip the other steps.  Don't fit yourself to your group, find a group that fits you! This is part of growing up.

Examples of Things to Notice
shopping: prices
diet: food log
sports: hot hand
environment: observations of birds, insects, plants, plant diseases, mushrooms (need to know names!)
weather: compare forecast to observations

While doing science with humans is possible, the best thing is to get out in nature where there are unlimited questions and more freedom to ask them.  Also, nature is the origin of the traditional sciences, like geology, chemistry, astronomy, biology. 

To teach sciences like chemistry, that can seem abstract, going through discoveries, the exploratory process, alchemy, etc can be helpful. 

Teach science from the basics.  Like how chemistry discovered metallurgy, and how that was made possible by high heat.  Astronomy and biology were made possible by lenses.  Or teach botany by looking at botanical explorers from Textbook of Pharmacognosy by Wallis, T. E. (Thomas Edward).  Another way to make science relevant is by teaching practical applications, like chemistry in baking/washing clothes.

Resources

https://get21stnight.com/2019/12/27/why-introductory-chemistry-is-boring-a-long-term-historical-perspective/

science? example: https://wefunder.com/lppfusion?auto_login_token=cqcK4xYxqbRvcbLm

Questioning is part of science: Socratic Grilling  https://slatestarcodex.com/2020/03/06/socratic-grilling/

Chemistry table of smells: https://jameskennedymonash.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/table-of-organic-compounds-and-their-smells-250-smells/

Regolith -- Silicate Mineral Weathering

All diagrams are from the excellent :

Regolith Geology and Geomorphology
G. Taylor, R. A. Eggleton, Richard A.. Eggleton
John Wiley & Sons, Aug 30, 2001

Biogenic VOC emissions

Trees and natural vegetation release air pollutants (biogenic), just like people (anthropogenic).

Figure from a great website by Dr. Wilson from Duke University, with lots of information.

The overall amount of this pollution can be modelled:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231005000907

Its important to put this into perspective: human (anthropogenic) emissions of VOCs can be 40 times greater than the highest modelled biogenic emissions.  But the compounds plants produce may be more effective in generating hazardous compound Ozone.  Atmospheric chemistry is complex, and it is ironic that the highest biogenic pollution emissions occur in the same areas that high anthropogenic pollution also occurs, compounding the problem.  

NC Stream Watch - New Hope Creek

NC Stream Watch volunteers take monthly samples along an elevational transect of New Hope Creek as it flows from Duke Forest slate belt down through Triassic basic sediments and bottomlands into the northernmost lobe of Jordan Reservoir 

Samples include wetted-width cross-sections to estimate total flow.

Water chemistry including Dissolved Oxygen, Total N and Total P.

Inspection of the macroinvertebrate fauna.  At Old Chapel Hill Rd and New Hope Creek, and at Erwin Road and New Hope Creek, we observed:

Mayfly
Female copepod
Daphnia
Snow Leopard leach
Midgefly
Oligochete
Dragonfly larva
& Asiatic Clam

Air Ions and Indoor Air Quality

     Having researched air ions before, I can attest that the subject is extremely technical and, worse, often prone to contradiction and obscurity depending on who is writing (and who is selling) various ideas.  It is another of those interdisciplinary areas with different and competing claims, in this case, from fields as divergent as air chemistry, ecology, and human health.  The following article, from Townsend Letters, does an admirable job of introducing most of the major competing health claims and sifting the evidence:

Static Electricity and Respiratory Infections
More times than not, shaking out a blanket on a cold night generates the crackle and sting of static electricity and a flurry of sparks. Synthetic materials, low humidity, and ungrounded electrical equipment are producing an unprecedented amount of electrostatic charge indoors, and these electrical fields may be contributing to increased risk of respiratory illness and other infections, according to a 2007 article in Atmospheric Environment. Indoors, most particles, including microbes and allergens, are so small (less than 1 microgram) that they could float in the air indefinitely; but electrical charges cause these miniscule particles to settle on surfaces and stick. These surfaces include skin and lungs. High electrostatic levels and increased deposition of airborne particles on skin have been linked to facial rashes, especially when humidity is low. Charged particles in the lungs increase the risk of infection and asthma. 

Keith S. Jamieson, H. M. ApSimon, and J. N. B. Bell advocate several ways to decrease indoor static electricity and the accompanying health effects. One recommendation is to reduce electrical charges by grounding laptop computers and other electrical equipment. They also recommend unplugging equipment when it's not in use. 

Another option is bipolar air ionization. (Long-term unipolar air ionization with negative ions has shortened lifespan of laboratory animals.) Air ionizers produce varying amounts of ozone, which damages the lungs, according to the EPA. Jamieson et al. urge people to use passive air ionization measures, such as grounding electrical equipment and choosing materials and furniture finishes that do not conduct electrical charges.

Another way to combat electrostatic is to use humidifiers. Indoor heating and cooling systems often reduce humidity levels. Low humidity encourages high electrostatic levels and decreases beneficial small air ion levels. (Small air ions kill microbes and reduce employee fatigue in the office workplace.) Humidifiers are often used to make breathing easier during respiratory infections; but humidifying indoor air, especially in winter months when furnaces are running, may prevent illness as well. 

Jamieson KS, ApSimon HM, Bell JNB. Electrostatics in the environment: how they may affect health and productivity. Electrostatics 2007 Journal of Physics: Conference Series. doi:10.1088/1742-6596/142/1/012052. Available athttp://iopscience.iop.org/1742-6596/142/1/012052. Accessed September 18, 2012.
Jamieson KS, ApSimon HM, Jamieson SS, Bell JNB, Yost MG. The effects of electric fields on charged molecules and particles in individual microenvironments [abstract]. Atmosph Environ. August 2007;41(25):5224–5235. Available at www.sciencedirect.com. Accessed April 27, 2011.
Reeves D. Electrical fields from everyday equipment and materials could increase infection risk [press release]. Imperial College London. July 20, 2007. Available atwww3.imperial.ac.uk. Accessed September 18, 2012.

Best Periodic Table Ever

I've been on the lookout for the best periodic table for a couple months now, and have finally found it. Various versions can be downloaded here. An explanation of the new format.

Pourbaix diagram

A Pourbaix diagram is used to show mineral solubility or metal valence, graphed on a Redox (Eh)/pH graph:

Pharmaceutical names

Every pharmaceutical drug has at least three names: a chemical name based on the compound's structure; a generic (or nonproprietary) name that is the drug's official name throughout its lifetime and a trade (or proprietary) name used by the pharmaceutical company for a 17-year period in which it has the exclusive rights to make and sell the drug.

Pharmaceutical brand names are designed to connote meaning, while generic names are designed to denote specific chemical structures. For example, brand names often use linguistic tricks, such as plosive letters (P, T or D) to convey power, or fricative letters (X, F, S or Z) to imply speed. The FDA's Office of Postmarketing Drug Risk Assessment does not allow brand names that sound too much like what they are supposed to do, or sound too much like other drugs. Generic (nonproprietary) pharmaceutical names are assigned by the United States Adopted Name Council to denote the chemical structure of the compound. Examples include drugs that end with -mab, which stands for monoclonal antibody, and drugs that end with -tocin, which are oxytoxin derivatives.

A gigantic experiment with all living things...

I have become increasingly skeptical of the safety of common chemicals. It is not that they are untested, but that they may be fundamentally untestable. Results showing changes in the grandchildren of exposed rats and hormone mimics having effects at doses almost too low to measure persuade me that the Precautionary Principle should be applied. At present, "we are running a gigantic experiment with humans and all other living things as the subject."

I talked to a Nalgene sales representative who swore there was no danger from Bisphenol A. Turns out there's quite a body of literature to the contrary, Canada's environmental agency is reviewing its grandfathered status and San Francisco has already banned it. Here's the letter I wrote after doing my research:

Mr. _____,
We spoke at the University of Arizona vendor fair on Tuesday the 24th of April briefly about BPA in Nalgene products. As I indicated, our lab is very concerned about any and all hormone mimics. We recently had an incident, unrelated to BPA, involving possibly paper products or wheat that may have been contaminated with some sort of juvenile growth hormone, leading to the virtual eradication of our colony animals (Manduca sexta) and a slow down over several months in our ability to conduct research.

As you can see, we are very concerned about possible extraneous factors affecting our research. Despite your assurances to the contrary, I do not find the peer-reviewed research on BPA to show it to be conclusively safe for use in our lab. (CF. Murray TJ (2007). "Induction of mammary gland ductal hyperplasias and carcinoma in situ following fetal bisphenol A exposure." and Frederick S. vom Saal (2006). "Large effects from small exposures. II. The importance of positive controls in low-dose research on bisphenol A.") Therefore, we will continue to seek out alternatives to Nalgene plastic containers in our purchasing.

If you are aware of any new research showing the safety of Nalgene products I would be happy to hear about it. In the meantime, this letter is simply to express my concerns and my conclusions based on the information you gave me and the information I have available to me.

Thank you.


Related Articles:
Man-made Chemicals Detected In Newborns

DNA: Most over-rated thing ever?

Life can be explained at many levels, but unfortunately apparently the most facile way at present is chemically. Molecular explanations of life are popular right now, but as with many things they assume what they attempt to discover. However, it remains to be seen if molecular descriptions of life are the most parsimonious way of understanding (controlling) the system.


Clues to a possible electromagnetic understanding of the fundamental nature of life.
:
DNA and all proteins have an inherent charge, an isoelectric point.
Ionized air influences mood.
Earth geoelectromagnetism cycles at the same frequency as most brain waves.
Atherosclerosis is a disease of ion imbalance affecting the suspension of colloids, namely the stickyness of blood cells.
Egg head/tail dichotomy is electrical potential difference, a difference preserved throughout life, but which is reversed under general anesthesia.
Acid/base imbalance related to CO2 intake and diet.