You pluck up the translucent boxy crystals, admiring how they build together to create a distinctive pyramid.
>
> Lick
Apophyllite is a mix of calcium silicates with traces of potassium, sodium, and a hint of fluorite.
It’s safe enough for an inedible rock candy, but doesn’t dissolve in spit so you can’t actually taste it.
>
> zap zap zap
You adjust your Zat'nik'tel to emit in ultraviolet, and zap (or its it zat?) the mineral.
“Oooh, isn’t that a pretty glow!” you exclaim as the Apophyllite fluoresces yellow.
>
> Snuggle
You give the mineral an affectionate cuddle. It has a slightly greasy texture.
It’s probably your imagination, but you could swear you felt it shiver. Or maybe creak?
>
> Snuggle-squish-SQUEEZE
You channel your desire to smash minerals into applying superhuman pressure.
The mineral resists, then succumbs, cleaving tidily along the {001} axis to leave a flat top edge. You snap a thinner piece between your fingers, revealing uneven fracture.
>
> Bake
You chuck the mineral into a portable camp over, twist the dial to “Rock,” then wait.
Slowly, the mineral dehydrated and peels apart like leaves.
“Ahhh, so THAT’S why you’re called Apophyllite,” you crow triumphantly. “Apo for off, and phyllos for leaf.”
> Dazed
You look around in confusion. You’re not sure why you’re here or what you’re doing.
>
> Nap
You yawn, and stretch, and dream of rocks. (...a day later. Naps are like that.)
I’m reading a lot of well-intentioned articles that make it clear how many scicomm peeps have no idea disaster risk reduction is a deep field with a lot of research into effective communication.
ProTip: Using fear & shame as motivation backfires when applied to public health.
I can’t write this article (or even thread!) right now as I’m under medical orders to drop my stress levels (ahahahahasob), but...
If you’re writing well-intentioned pieces trying to influence pandemic behaviour, please take some cues from disaster sociology research. It exists!
Fundamental premise:
Vanishingly few people make active choices they believe will endanger themselves or the people they love.
If they’re making “bad” choices, it’s a fundamentally different risk perception. Until you understand how & why, your argument will miss its audience.
Even if you don’t pay much attention to ground-based astronomy, you know this telescope from pop culture & movies. It’s somewhere special. nature.com/articles/d4158…
This article from just before the closing announcement is fantastic for the context of why Arecibo is so unique: space.com/arecibo-observ…
I just...
I know we’ve got a lot going on, especially with the mass casualty event scheduled shortly after US Thanksgiving.
But take some time to read the Arecibo tributes as they come out. They won’t be cheerful. But they’ll be heartfelt.
But technically landslide are fluid-like, not fluids.
Why?
Because they’re a mixed mess of materials that act differently when moving than when still. You can’t just sample a tree trunk, some peat, and water to figure out the rheologic properties (how it flows).