0_Wizard
I've always been fascinated by rocks and fossils -- some people call it "rockhounding". Are you familiar with the term (or hobby?!)
Amateur geology (known as rockhounding in the United States and Canada.)
chosen_Amateur_geology_0
Amateur geology
chosen_topic_0_Amateur_geology
Fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin "fossilis"; literally, "obtained by digging") is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, hair, petrified wood, oil, coal, and DNA remnants. The totality of fossils is known as the "fossil record". Paleontology is the study of fossils: their age, method of formation, and evolutionary significance. Specimens are usually considered to be fossils if they are over 10,000 years old. The oldest fossils are from around 3.48 billion years old to 4.1 billion years old.
Fossils of the Burgess Shale
The fossils of the Burgess Shale, like the Burgess Shale itself, formed around in the Mid Cambrian period. They were discovered in Canada in 1886, and Charles Doolittle Walcott collected over 60,000 specimens in a series of field trips up from 1909 to 1924. After a period of neglect from the 1930s to the early 1960s, new excavations and re-examinations of Walcott's collection continue to discover new species, and statistical analysis suggests discoveries will continue for the foreseeable future. Stephen Jay Gould's book "Wonderful Life" describes the history of discovery up to the early 1980s, although his analysis of the implications for evolution has been contested.
Sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the deposition and subsequent cementation of that material at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause mineral or organic particles (detritus) to settle in place. The particles that form a sedimentary rock by accumulating are called sediment. Before being deposited, the sediment was formed by weathering and erosion from the source area, and then transported to the place of deposition by water, wind, ice, mass movement or glaciers, which are called agents of denudation. Sedimentation may also occur as minerals precipitate from water solution or shells of aquatic creatures settle out of suspension.
History of paleontology in the United States
The history of paleontology in the United States refers to the developments and discoveries regarding fossils found within or by people from the United States of America. Local paleontology began informally with Native Americans, who have been familiar with fossils for thousands of years. They both told myths about them and applied them to practical purposes. African slaves also contributed their knowledge; the first reasonably accurate recorded identification of vertebrate fossils in the new world was made by slaves on a South Carolina plantation who recognized the elephant affinities of mammoth molars uncovered there in 1725.
Amateur geology
Amateur geology (known as rockhounding in the United States and Canada.) is the recreational study and hobby of collecting rocks and mineral specimens from their natural environment. The first amateur geologists were prospectors looking for valuable minerals and gemstones for commercial purposes. Eventually, however, more and more people have been drawn to amateur geology for recreational purposes, mainly for the beauty that rocks and minerals provide. One reason for the rise in popularity of amateur geology is that a collection can begin by simply picking up a rock. There are also many clubs and groups that search for specimens and compare them in groups as a hobby.
Ochoco Mountains
The Ochoco Mountains are a mountain range in central Oregon in the United States, located at the western end of the Blue Mountains. They were formed when Permian, Triassic, and Jurassic rocks were slowly uplifted by volcanic eruptions to form the Clarno Formation. Today, the highest point in the range is Lookout Mountain. The dominant vegetation on the west side of the range is old-growth ponderosa pine; on the east side, western juniper is common. The western area of the mountains is administered by the Ochoco National Forest, while the southeastern section is part of the Malheur National Forest.
Hobby horse
The term hobby horse is used, principally by folklorists, to refer to the costumed characters that feature in some traditional seasonal customs, processions and similar observances around the world. They are particularly associated with May Day celebrations, Mummers plays and the Morris dance in England. Hobby horses may be constructed in several different ways. The types most frequently found in the United Kingdom have been categorised as follows:  Not all hobby horses fit into these categories, even within the UK. The famous May Day horses at Padstow and Minehead are large constructions, suspended at shoulder level, with only the performer's head emerging; they wear tall, pointed hats and their faces are masked.
1_Apprentice
Heard of it but would love to know what it means?
0_Wizard
It's basically the study and collecting of rocks and mineral specimens for fun.
is the recreational study and hobby of collecting rocks and mineral specimens from their natural environment.
chosen_Amateur_geology_0
Amateur geology
chosen_topic_0_Amateur_geology
Mineralogy of the Pikes Peak Region
The Pikes Peak region is renowned for its rare mineral specimens. It is a favorite collecting area for rock hounds and serious collectors alike. Scientists from around the world come to Colorado to study the minerals of this region. Because the granite covers a large portion of the Colorado Front Range, there are good mineral collecting areas scattered all over the Pikes Peak region. The collecting localities range from near Colorado Springs on the south to just west of Denver on the north. The Pikes Peak granite formed in several stages. In the initial stage, about 1.02 billion years ago, a large mass of magma intruded into what is now the Front Range of Colorado.
Mont Blanc massif
The Mont Blanc massif (; ) is a mountain range in the Alps, located mostly in France and Italy, but also straddling Switzerland at its northeastern end. It contains eleven major independent summits, each over in height. It is named after Mont Blanc (), the highest point in western Europe and the European Union. Because of its considerable overall altitude, a large proportion of the massif is covered by glaciers, which include the Mer de Glace and the Miage Glacierthe longest glaciers in France and Italy, respectively. Not only does the massif form a watershed between the vast catchments of the Rhône and Po rivers, as well as a tripoint between France, Italy and Switzerland, it also marks the border between two climate regions by separating the northern and western Alps from the southern Alps.
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization. Early writing on mineralogy, especially on gemstones, comes from ancient Babylonia, the ancient Greco-Roman world, ancient and medieval China, and Sanskrit texts from ancient India and the ancient Islamic World. Books on the subject included the "Naturalis Historia" of Pliny the Elder, which not only described many different minerals but also explained many of their properties, and Kitab al Jawahir (Book of Precious Stones) by Persian scientist Al Biruni.
Amateur geology
Amateur geology (known as rockhounding in the United States and Canada.) is the recreational study and hobby of collecting rocks and mineral specimens from their natural environment. The first amateur geologists were prospectors looking for valuable minerals and gemstones for commercial purposes. Eventually, however, more and more people have been drawn to amateur geology for recreational purposes, mainly for the beauty that rocks and minerals provide. One reason for the rise in popularity of amateur geology is that a collection can begin by simply picking up a rock. There are also many clubs and groups that search for specimens and compare them in groups as a hobby.
Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals
The Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals is a non-profit museum in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Located just north of the Sunset Highway on the northern edge of Hillsboro, the earth science museum is in the Portland metropolitan area. Opened in 1997, the museum’s collections date to the 1930s with the museum housed in a home built to display the rock and mineral collections of the museum founders. The ranch style home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the first of its kind listed in Oregon. In 2015 the museum became a Smithsonian Affiliate museum. The museum sits on 23 wooded acres (9.3 ha), with the main building containing of space.
Walter Frederick Ferrier
Walter Frederick Ferrier (1865–1950) was a Canadian geologist and mining engineer. He graduated from McGill University’s school of mining engineering. He was a tireless mineral collector and was known for walking straight into mining offices to request specimens. Consequently, he created large collections of mineral specimens of a quality still admired to this day. Many classic specimens would never be in collections had it not been for his effort and skill. The mineral specimens he amassed were instrumental in creating the mineral collections of the Smithsonian in Washington DC, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, University of Alberta, and the museum particularly dear to his heart, the Redpath Museum at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring chemical compound, usually of crystalline form and abiogenic in origin (not produced by life processes). A mineral has one specific chemical composition, whereas a rock can be an aggregate of different minerals or mineraloids. The study of minerals is called mineralogy. There are over 5,300 known mineral species; , over 5,290 of these had been approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA). The silicate minerals compose over 90% of the Earth's crust. Silicon and oxygen constitute approximately 75% of the Earth's crust, which translates directly into the predominance of silicate minerals.
1_Apprentice
Ok so its like amatuer geology?
0_Wizard
*Exactly* the name for it. Basically, the first amateur geologists were prospectors looking for valuable minerals and gemstones to make money.
The first amateur geologists were prospectors looking for valuable minerals and gemstones for commercial purposes.
chosen_Amateur_geology_0
Amateur geology
chosen_topic_0_Amateur_geology
Amateur geology
Amateur geology (known as rockhounding in the United States and Canada.) is the recreational study and hobby of collecting rocks and mineral specimens from their natural environment. The first amateur geologists were prospectors looking for valuable minerals and gemstones for commercial purposes. Eventually, however, more and more people have been drawn to amateur geology for recreational purposes, mainly for the beauty that rocks and minerals provide. One reason for the rise in popularity of amateur geology is that a collection can begin by simply picking up a rock. There are also many clubs and groups that search for specimens and compare them in groups as a hobby.
BedRoc Limited, LLC v. United States
BedRoc Limited, LLC v. United States, , is a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court decided sand and gravel are not "valuable minerals" reserved to the United States Government under the Pittman Underground Water Act of 1919. The Court sided in a 6–3 decision with the petitioner, BedRoc Limited, and reversed the decision of the Ninth Circuit Court. BedRoc Limited had removed sand and gravel from lands obtained under the Pittman Act, and the United States, the respondent, argued those were reserved to the U.S. Government under that law. William Rehnquist wrote the majority opinion, that relied on a textualist approach, and was joined by three justices.
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, usually from an orebody, lode, vein, seam, reef or placer deposits. These deposits form a mineralized package that is of economic interest to the miner. Ores recovered by mining include metals, coal, oil shale, gemstones, limestone, chalk, dimension stone, rock salt, potash, gravel, and clay. Mining is required to obtain any material that cannot be grown through agricultural processes, or created artificially in a laboratory or factory. Mining in a wider sense includes extraction of any non-renewable resource such as petroleum, natural gas, or even water.
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring chemical compound, usually of crystalline form and abiogenic in origin (not produced by life processes). A mineral has one specific chemical composition, whereas a rock can be an aggregate of different minerals or mineraloids. The study of minerals is called mineralogy. There are over 5,300 known mineral species; , over 5,290 of these had been approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA). The silicate minerals compose over 90% of the Earth's crust. Silicon and oxygen constitute approximately 75% of the Earth's crust, which translates directly into the predominance of silicate minerals.
Froth flotation
Froth flotation is a process for selectively separating hydrophobic materials from hydrophilic. This is used in mineral processing, paper recycling and waste-water treatment industries. Historically this was first used in the mining industry, where it was one of the great enabling technologies of the 20th century. It has been described as "the single most important operation used for the recovery and upgrading of sulfide ores". The development of froth flotation has improved the recovery of valuable minerals, such as copper- and lead-bearing minerals. Along with mechanized mining, it has allowed the economic recovery of valuable metals from much lower grade ore than previously.
Diamond
Diamond ( or ) is a metastable allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at standard conditions. Diamond is renowned as a material with superlative physical qualities, most of which originate from the strong covalent bonding between its atoms. In particular, diamond has the highest hardness and thermal conductivity of any bulk material. Those properties determine the major industrial application of diamond in cutting and polishing tools and the scientific applications in diamond knives and diamond anvil cells.
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush was a migration by an estimated 100,000 prospectors to the Klondike region of the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1896 and 1899. Gold was discovered there by local miners on August 16, 1896, and, when news reached Seattle and San Francisco the following year, it triggered a stampede of prospectors. Some became wealthy, but the majority went in vain. It has been immortalized in photographs, books, films, and artifacts. To reach the gold fields, most took the route through the ports of Dyea and Skagway in Southeast Alaska. Here, the Klondikers could follow either the Chilkoot or the White Pass trails to the Yukon River and sail down to the Klondike.
1_Apprentice
Are there any laws in place regarding the collection of rocks and minerals from public areas?
0_Wizard
Depending on where you are -- definitely! Tourist info centers and chambers of commerce can provide good intel as to what's allowed where. But I do know some state parks have *strict* rules against it.
Tourist information centers and small-town chambers of commerce can also supply valuable local information.
chosen_Amateur_geology_0
Amateur geology
chosen_topic_0_Amateur_geology
Info-gap decision theory
Info-gap decision theory is a non-probabilistic decision theory that seeks to optimize robustness to failure – or opportuneness for windfall – under severe uncertainty, in particular applying sensitivity analysis of the stability radius type to perturbations in the value of a given estimate of the parameter of interest. It has some connections with Wald's maximin model; some authors distinguish them, others consider them instances of the same principle. It has been developed since the 1980s by Yakov Ben-Haim, and has found many applications and described as a theory for decision-making under ""severe" uncertainty".
Intel
Intel Corporation (also known as Intel, stylized as intel) is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, in the Silicon Valley. It is the world's second largest and second highest valued semiconductor chip makers based on revenue after being overtaken by Samsung, and is the inventor of the x86 series of microprocessors, the processors found in most personal computers (PCs). Intel supplies processors for computer system manufacturers such as Apple, Lenovo, HP, and Dell. Intel also manufactures motherboard chipsets, network interface controllers and integrated circuits, flash memory, graphics chips, embedded processors and other devices related to communications and computing.
Psiax
Psiax was an Attic vase painter of the transitional period between the black-figure and red-figure styles. His works date to "circa" 525 to 505 BC and comprise about 60 surviving vases, two of which bear his signature. Initially he was allocated the name "Menon Painter" by John Beazley. Only later was it realised that the artist was identical with the painters signing as "Psiax". Psiax collaborated with the potters Hilinos, Menon, Andokides and Nikosthenes. While he started as a painter in the black-figure technique, he played a major role in the early development of red-figure, which was invented in the workshop of Andokides.
List of West Virginia state parks
There are 37 state parks in the U.S. state of West Virginia . The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) Parks and Recreation Section is the governing body for all 37 state parks and directly operates all but one of them. In addition to state parks, the WVDNR Parks and Recreation Section governs eight state forests. The first West Virginia state park, Droop Mountain Battlefield, was acquired in 1928 and dedicated in 1929; and the newest state parks, Stonewall Jackson Lake and North Bend Rail Trail, were opened in 1990 and 1991, respectively. Four parks that later joined the state park system were established prior to Droop Mountain, the earliest being the Point Pleasant Monument (now Tu-Endie-Wei) in 1901.
Redwood National and State Parks
The Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) are a complex of several state and national parks located in the United States, along the coast of northern California. Comprising Redwood National Park (established 1968) and California's Del Norte Coast, Jedediah Smith, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Parks (dating from the 1920s), the combined RNSP contain , and feature old-growth temperate rainforests. Located entirely within Del Norte and Humboldt Counties, the four parks, together, protect 45% of all remaining coast redwood ("Sequoia sempervirens") old-growth forests, totaling at least . These trees are the tallest and one of the most massive tree species on Earth.
List of smoking bans
This is a list of smoking bans by country. Smoking bans are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, which prohibit tobacco smoking in workplaces and/or other public spaces. Legislation may also, in some cases, restrict the carrying or possessing of any lit tobacco product. A law came into effect on 30 May 2007 restricting smoking in closed public areas and outlawing the advertisement of tobacco, although the measure was reportedly poorly enforced in the country until 2013. From 2013 law enforcement has been implemented, and smoking is strictly forbidden in closed public areas, including bars, pubs, restaurants etc.
Budapest
Budapest () is the capital and the most populous city of Hungary, and one of the largest cities in the European Union. With an estimated 2016 population of 1,759,407 distributed over a land area of about , Budapest is also one of the most densely populated major cities in the EU. Budapest is both a city and county, and forms the centre of the Budapest metropolitan area, which has an area of and a population of 3,303,786, comprising 33 percent of the population of Hungary. The Budapest metropolitan area had a GDP of $141.0 billion (€129.4 billion) in 2016, accounting for 49.6 percent of the GDP of Hungary.
1_Apprentice
Ok what kind of equipment would I need to go rockhounding?
0_Wizard
The principal piece of equipment is a geologist's hammer -- small tool with a pick-like point on one end, a flat hammer on the other.
This is a small tool with a pick-like point on one end, and a flat hammer on the other.
chosen_Amateur_geology_0
Amateur geology
chosen_topic_0_Amateur_geology
Amateur geology
Amateur geology (known as rockhounding in the United States and Canada.) is the recreational study and hobby of collecting rocks and mineral specimens from their natural environment. The first amateur geologists were prospectors looking for valuable minerals and gemstones for commercial purposes. Eventually, however, more and more people have been drawn to amateur geology for recreational purposes, mainly for the beauty that rocks and minerals provide. One reason for the rise in popularity of amateur geology is that a collection can begin by simply picking up a rock. There are also many clubs and groups that search for specimens and compare them in groups as a hobby.
Hammer
A hammer is a tool or device that delivers a blow (a sudden impact) to an object. Most hammers are hand tools used to drive nails, fit parts, forge metal, and break apart objects. Hammers vary in shape, size, and structure, depending on their purposes. Hammers are basic tools in many trades. The usual features are a head (most often made of steel) and a handle (also called a helve or haft). Although most hammers are hand tools, powered versions exist; they are known as powered hammers. Types of power hammer include steam hammers and trip hammers, often for heavier uses, such as forging. Some specialized hammers have other names, such as "sledgehammer", "mallet", and "gavel".
Tool use by animals
Tools are used by animals for purposes including acquiring food and water, grooming, defense, recreation or construction. Originally thought to be a skill only possessed by humans, some tool use requires a sophisticated level of cognition. There is considerable discussion about the definition of what constitutes a tool and therefore which behaviours can be considered as true examples of tool use. A wide range of animals are considered to use tools including mammals, birds, fish, cephalopods and insects. Primates are well known for using tools for hunting or gathering food and water, cover for rain, and self-defence.
List of The King of Braves GaoGaiGar characters
This is an index of characters and mecha in the anime and manga "The King of Braves GaoGaiGar" and "The King of Braves GaoGaiGar FINAL". A brave man with tremendous courage and enthusiasm, and the strength to never give up for the sake of life—even at the possible cost of his own. Former astronaut and test pilot for the Space Development Corporation. In 2003, he had been in orbit testing an experimental space shuttle when an extraterrestrial object (later classified as EI-01) suddenly appeared in his flight path, smashing his shuttle out of the way. This left the shuttle disabled and Guy himself in a near-death state.
Hand axe
A hand axe (or handaxe) is a prehistoric stone tool with two faces that is the longest-used tool in human history. It is usually made from flint or chert. It is characteristic of the lower Acheulean and middle Palaeolithic (Mousterian) periods. Its technical name (biface) comes from the fact that the archetypical model is generally bifacial Lithic flake and almond-shaped (amygdaloidal). Hand axes tend to be symmetrical along their longitudinal axis and formed by pressure or percussion. The most common hand axes have a pointed end and rounded base, which gives them their characteristic shape, and both faces have been knapped to remove the natural cortex, at least partially.
Forging
Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localized compressive forces. The blows are delivered with a hammer (often a power hammer) or a die. Forging is often classified according to the temperature at which it is performed: cold forging (a type of cold working), warm forging, or hot forging (a type of hot working). For the latter two, the metal is heated, usually in a forge. Forged parts can range in weight from less than a kilogram to hundreds of metric tons. Forging has been done by smiths for millennia; the traditional products were kitchenware, hardware, hand tools, edged weapons, cymbals, and jewellery.
MC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), better known by his stage name MC Hammer, is an American hip hop recording artist, dancer, record producer and entrepreneur. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s, until the early 1990s. Remembered for his rapid rise to fame, Hammer is known for hit records (such as "U Can't Touch This" and "2 Legit 2 Quit"), flashy dance movements, choreography and eponymous Hammer pants. A multi-award winner, M.C. Hammer is considered a "forefather/pioneer" and innovator of pop rap (incorporating elements of ), and is the first hip hop artist to achieve diamond status for an album.
1_Apprentice
Any suggestions for a first timer going rockhounding?