Monday June 17, 2013 When I was given a grab-bag of rock
specimens the other week, this piece of limestone studded with
little Devonian corals caught my eye. A few quick tests told me
I could try acid digestion on it, so that's what I did. See the
process, the results and the trade-offs after I bathed it in
hydrochloric acid. The acid test Oxalic acid treatment of
minerals Fossil collecting tools Thamnopora coral specimen
Geology Guide photo Sunday June 16, 2013 I spent a fair amount
of my late teens visiting wild caves. Then I moved to a place
with no caves, moved again, and many years later I'm not sure I
could repeat anything I used to do underground. But I still
enjoy a tour of a good show cave, especially when they lay on
the science instead of the "this formation looks like Snoopy"
stuff. And I can still put up a mean quiz on caves. Don't let
the questions drive you BATS. Saturday June 15, 2013 For me, the
science news of the week was the Nature paper this week
announcing that the genes of Emiliania hux