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John Faithfull ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ๐ŸงกโœŠ๐ŸปโœŠ๐Ÿฟ profile picture
John Faithfull ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ๐ŸงกโœŠ๐ŸปโœŠ๐Ÿฟ
@John Faithfull ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ๐ŸงกโœŠ๐ŸปโœŠ๐Ÿฟ

Scottish mineralogist/petrologist/geologist living on Mull. Former sysadmin/database programmer. He/him.

#Geoscience, #Geology, #Mineralogy, #Petrology #Geochemistry,
#Rocks, #Minerals, #Chemistry, #Mining, #ASM, #Seashells

#Books, #Poetry, #Mull, #Museums, #Pottery, #Ceramics

#Dogs, #Rodents, #Raccoons, #Boats, #Mountains, #Collecting, #Stuff, #Depression, #Anxiety

#Global, #European, #Scottish

#Computers, #SQL, #NoAI

Relays (1)
  • wss://relay.ditto.pub โ€“ read & write

Recent Notes

John Faithfull ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ๐ŸงกโœŠ๐ŸปโœŠ๐Ÿฟ profile picture
How old is a rock can be an extremely complicated question! ๐Ÿค“ ๐Ÿ˜ฑ

This is great (open access) paper using a wide range of techniques to examine the ways measured radiometric dates on mineral grains may reflect or hide small-scale rock processes rather than big events.

Probably for enthusiasts only, although there are nice pictures! ๐Ÿคฃ

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00410-026-02344-7

#Geology #Geochronology
John Faithfull ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ๐ŸงกโœŠ๐ŸปโœŠ๐Ÿฟ profile picture
#MinCup2026 More wonderful quartz: the delicate tint and fine lustre of the smoky quartz from the mountains north of Killin makes for superb gemstones. These are in the collections of the Hunterian Museum, in Glasgow...

Vote here (for quartz obviously!):

https://www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-results/vote-r5m01

#Quartz

John Faithfull ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ๐ŸงกโœŠ๐ŸปโœŠ๐Ÿฟ profile picture
#MinCup26 It's the time for QUARTZ! A speciality of our planet in a mostly quartz-free cosmos.

This mineral can do anything: a gem in lots of colours, a geothermometer, geological strain gauge, a trap for geofluid samples, and much more.

Here is a beautiful stormy seascape in this cut and polished Scottish agate - all due to the microtextural subtlety and complexity of quartz.

Mike Taylor ๐Ÿฆ• · 8w
nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpq33k4fr6pw6d4s8k3j62pvt6u62a830ddp9xmwsnxavlzw2ep52ys9qc5l4 nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpqk8dc8n2gp005xaguhmfu4j4u0gxrxqf...
John Faithfull ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ๐ŸงกโœŠ๐ŸปโœŠ๐Ÿฟ profile picture
@nprofile1q... @nprofile1q... I'm just a perverse masochist in this area: I even try never even to read any AI summaries ever on any search results, and always scroll down to actual links. Of course half of them turn out to be AI generated anyway.

But I'm not claiming any moral superiority (well, maybe a little!) I'm heavily and inextricably embedded in Google, and have various TV channels on my Roku box from most of the worst US technocorps. Each to their own! ๐Ÿ˜‚
Mike Taylor ๐Ÿฆ• · 8w
nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpq33k4fr6pw6d4s8k3j62pvt6u62a830ddp9xmwsnxavlzw2ep52ys9qc5l4 nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpqk8dc8n2gp005xaguhmfu4j4u0gxrxqfmtghcd56k24n7pjps49ns2ke762 I share your distaste. But I've found it's good for this kind of thing ...
Mike Taylor ๐Ÿฆ• · 8w
nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpq33k4fr6pw6d4s8k3j62pvt6u62a830ddp9xmwsnxavlzw2ep52ys9qc5l4 nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpqk8dc8n2gp005xaguhmfu4j4u0gxrxqfmtghcd56k24n7pjps49ns2ke762 It's bizarre to me that it's not the default. Maybe it's configurable s...
John Faithfull ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ๐ŸงกโœŠ๐ŸปโœŠ๐Ÿฟ profile picture
Some beautiful fluorescence under 365nm UV light in these Gibbula cinereria (top; aka Grey Topshells), Trivia monacha (centre; aka European cowrie) and Trivia arctica (bottom; aka Arctic cowrie) found on a beach in Iona today . What are these creatures doing with fluorescence in their daily lives? ๐Ÿค” #Seashells #Mollusca #Mull #Iona
@nprofile1q...

Ps this phenomenon was first discovered by Alex Comfort ( #JoyOfSex ) in the 1940s...


Dr. Or M. Bialik · 10w
In retrospect, it makes sense, but I really didn't expect the difference in the ratio of ATP to carbon to be multiple orders of magnitude between plants and animals. (Mobility is energy-intensive) ...
John Faithfull ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ๐ŸงกโœŠ๐ŸปโœŠ๐Ÿฟ profile picture
@nprofile1q... I need to look at this! I've been looking at some 5mm to 2 cm apatite-graphite bands in mid amphibolite grade pelitic schists in Mull. The protoliths are ca 900 Ma sediments. I suspect that they have to represent some kind of marine (or less likely, lacustrine) "bloom". I've done some of "back of envelope" calculations on what thickness of protozoan/metazoan slime you might need to create 1cm of apatite, so things like bulk P content (mainly ATP- hosted??) are key. Thanks for this ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿค“