• mitchty@lemmy.sdf.org
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      21 days ago

      Im sure it’s required. I got a geology buddy and he said this is pretty normal for identification of rocks. So I bet its a required skill to tell spicy rocks from rocky rocks.

      • 🔍🦘🛎@lemmy.world
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        20 days ago

        Geology degree here - you identify some rocks by licking them. Licking most rocks will give you no information. But in a final, honestly, nobody would bat an eye if you licked all of them, just in case.

        • djsoren19@yiffit.net
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          20 days ago

          I have to know, how was sanitation handled? did you each student have an individual sample, or were you all licking a communal rock?

          • 🔍🦘🛎@lemmy.world
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            20 days ago

            Individual samples and UV lights, though often there was a rock where multiple people would lick it. People probably don’t get sick from that often.

          • Glimpythegoblin @lemm.ee
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            20 days ago

            Us geology students are bonded by blood. Once we all passed around a fragment of dinosaur bone and all stuck it to our tongue. Pre COVID mind you.

      • morbidcactus@lemmy.ca
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        21 days ago

        Was a thing when I took geo in first year, rock test (and the professor) was kinda a legend within engineering.

        • mitchty@lemmy.sdf.org
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          20 days ago

          Heh that sounds like my buddies professor. All he said was your tongues always there and it’s a good instrument so why not use it. I just make fun of him licking rocks.

    • Glimpythegoblin @lemm.ee
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      21 days ago

      Yes. I have a geology degree. How else am I supposed to distinguish apatite from halite. I’ve licked many rocks. Mineralogy, petrology, and sedemenary Rocks and fossils all had finals that involved having 50 rocks in front of you to identify