Geology (ROCKS) with Schmitty Thompson
Image Description: Geologist Schmitty Thompson stands outdoors against a landscape of golden grass and cloudy mountaintops in the distance. They have brown hair tucked under a knit cap and glasses and are wearing a knit sweater with a checked collared shirt underneath. They are smiling warmly at the camera.
What is a rock? How big is a boulder? Why are they pretty and heavy? It’s rock talk with a true enthusiast, the charming and beloved Geologist Schmitty Thompson. Schmitty walks us through different types of rocks, minerals, geological formations, roadside wonders, countertop crystals, stone skipping, and why you should stare lovingly into a pit of gravel. There were so many listener questions, we had to make this a two-parter people. So roll up a boulder, take a seat, and enjoy Schmitty’s Geology Corner. Also: losing my marbles.
Listen via Stitcher, Apple, Podbay, Podcast Addict, Spotify, Overcast, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Schmitty’s published papers:
A Global Database of Marine Isotope Stage 5a and 5c Marine Terraces and Paleoshoreline Indicators
Donations went to Mindat.org and Skype a Scientist
Skype a Scientist After Hours Trivia for Adults
Links to things we discussed:
USGS explains metamorphic rocks
The Volcano Eruption in 4K HDR | Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
You can watch The Wave (but with ads) via YouTube
Bocquet, L. (2003). The physics of stone skipping. American Journal of Physics, 71(2), 150–155.
2016 Stone-skipping documentary “Skips Stone for Fudge”
2004 paper in Nature, "Secrets of successful stone-skipping”
Swift Stone Skippers Could in Theory Skip 100s of Skips
Bone metabolism and evolutionary origin of osteocytes: Novel application of FIB-SEM tomography
More on YaraHaridy: Sassy Palaeontologist
This guy tumbles a lot of rocks!
The work of philosopher Simon Caney
Climate change, human rights, and moral thresholds
Biographical Memoir Of Bertram Borden Boltwood 1870-1927
Mother Jones: An Updated Lead-Crime Roundup for 2018
Large boulder the size of a small boulder tweet
Indeed a large boulder sized small oopsie
Silicon carbide aka Moissanite
Petrified wood vs. fossilized bone
Dark crystals: the brutal reality behind a booming wellness craze
2009 Stone Skipping Professionals piece on CBS
Crate and Barrel Petrified wood cheese board
More photos of the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona
Rhyolite spherulites aka THUNDER EGGS
“No progress in diversity in 40 years”
Barriers to fieldwork in undergraduate geoscience degrees
Protecting BIPOC scholars in the field
More episodes you might like:
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Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media
Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary
Website by Kelly R. Dwyer
Theme song by Nick Thorburn