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You yawn and stretch, awakening from a nap only to realize you’re in the glacier-carved granite mountains of central Portugal.
#YouFindARock. It’s a very pretty lime green that fills you with unease.
Yaiba Sakaguchi
#YouFindARock. It’s a very pretty lime green that fills you with unease.
Yaiba Sakaguchi
Disconcerted, you vow to determine if it’s safe before you lick those candy-coloured tablets.
>
>
> Eye warily
It’s shiny, almost pearly in bright sunshine.
> Pop in cloud chamber
Wary it may be emitting beyond optical light, you place the mineral in a box of supersaturated alcohol vapour.
Alpha particles leave swirling trails in the mist. Um.
>
It’s shiny, almost pearly in bright sunshine.
> Pop in cloud chamber
Wary it may be emitting beyond optical light, you place the mineral in a box of supersaturated alcohol vapour.
Alpha particles leave swirling trails in the mist. Um.
>
> Zap triumphantly
You retrieve tourmaline from your pockets to polarize a flashlight beam, then rotate your new rock. Any yellow bits shift saturation from light to dark.
“I’ve got you now!” you cackle, whipping out a UV flashlight. Your autunite glows a rich green. Pretty!
>
You retrieve tourmaline from your pockets to polarize a flashlight beam, then rotate your new rock. Any yellow bits shift saturation from light to dark.
“I’ve got you now!” you cackle, whipping out a UV flashlight. Your autunite glows a rich green. Pretty!
>
> Douse in acid
Pressing your field knife into a join, you admiring how easily the soft mineral (Mohs hardness 2) separates under your sharp blade despite its slight elasticity.
You drop a tab into a small vat of sulfuric acid.
It dissolves.
>
Pressing your field knife into a join, you admiring how easily the soft mineral (Mohs hardness 2) separates under your sharp blade despite its slight elasticity.
You drop a tab into a small vat of sulfuric acid.
It dissolves.
>
> Set up mine
Delighted by your discovery, you acquire permits and hire experts to run your new uranium mine.
Before you depart, you leave strict instructions for them to preserve any particularly pretty mineral specimens in glass display boxes and to not lick ANYTHING.
Delighted by your discovery, you acquire permits and hire experts to run your new uranium mine.
Before you depart, you leave strict instructions for them to preserve any particularly pretty mineral specimens in glass display boxes and to not lick ANYTHING.
You wander away to Balvaria, pausing at thick hydrothermal veins cutting through granite when a dark purple, almost black, mineral catches your attention.
#YouFindARock.
You pick it up, marveling that it feels heavy for its size.
Laurent Kbaier
#YouFindARock.
You pick it up, marveling that it feels heavy for its size.
Laurent Kbaier
“Oh, aren’t you just darling!” you gush, holding your new friend to the light to admire the dark clouds within translucent cubes.
>
>
> Pet gently
It’s solid and smooth under your fingers.
> Pet firmly
So smooth! Soothing, almost.
> Scratch curiously
It’s harder than your nails.
>
It’s solid and smooth under your fingers.
> Pet firmly
So smooth! Soothing, almost.
> Scratch curiously
It’s harder than your nails.
>
> Sniff
You nuzzle close, inhale deeply, and immediately regret your life choices as you’re slammed with the pungent astringency of bare fluorine. It’s a hellish hot tub blending chlorine & ozone into a nostril-singeing nightmare.
Stinkspar
Fetid fluorite
Stink-fluss
Antozonite
You nuzzle close, inhale deeply, and immediately regret your life choices as you’re slammed with the pungent astringency of bare fluorine. It’s a hellish hot tub blending chlorine & ozone into a nostril-singeing nightmare.
Stinkspar
Fetid fluorite
Stink-fluss
Antozonite
> Zap
You pull out yourUV flashlight, lighting up the niche fluorite so it fluoresces at you.
“Such a good rock!” you coo encouragingly. “You’re just like normal fluorite except for your one itty bitty quirk.”
>
You pull out yourUV flashlight, lighting up the niche fluorite so it fluoresces at you.
“Such a good rock!” you coo encouragingly. “You’re just like normal fluorite except for your one itty bitty quirk.”
>
> Pop in cloud chamber
While less practical than a Geiger, a sealed chamber of vaporized alcohol is more fun.
You add the antozonite, unsurprised to spy particle paths indicating radioactive decay of trace uranium that give the distinct purple-black hue.
Pretty danger-rock!
>
While less practical than a Geiger, a sealed chamber of vaporized alcohol is more fun.
You add the antozonite, unsurprised to spy particle paths indicating radioactive decay of trace uranium that give the distinct purple-black hue.
Pretty danger-rock!
>
> Take carefully
You wrap the fancy danger rock in paper then place it in a cardboard box, dropping it off at your uranium mine for safe display in a ventilated glass case.
Satisfied, you skip away from *Bavaria.
You wrap the fancy danger rock in paper then place it in a cardboard box, dropping it off at your uranium mine for safe display in a ventilated glass case.
Satisfied, you skip away from *Bavaria.
When you arrive in Paradox Valley, Colorado, you immediately go poking through the petrified wood. You’re on a mission now!
#YouFindARock, crystallized on petrified wood like moss on a tree.
John Betts Fine Minerals
#YouFindARock, crystallized on petrified wood like moss on a tree.
John Betts Fine Minerals
Grinning smugly, you debate the best way to confirm Your new yellow friend is the mineral you’re seeking.
>
>
> Eye warily
You closely examin the yellow microcrystals, admiring the silky luster of the crusty grains. You spy twins, pairs of crystals mirrored along a symmetry axis.
> Cloud chamber?
You once again borrow alcohol vapor to visualize radioactivity.
Yup: it’s radioactive.
>
You closely examin the yellow microcrystals, admiring the silky luster of the crusty grains. You spy twins, pairs of crystals mirrored along a symmetry axis.
> Cloud chamber?
You once again borrow alcohol vapor to visualize radioactivity.
Yup: it’s radioactive.
>
> Flee
Realizing you’re out of materials to safely collect radioactive minerals, you reluctantly abandon the carnotite. Miles from the nearest place to wash hands, you can’t even pet your soft, waxy friend.
Next time you’ll be better prepared.
Next time, you’ll head to...
>
Realizing you’re out of materials to safely collect radioactive minerals, you reluctantly abandon the carnotite. Miles from the nearest place to wash hands, you can’t even pet your soft, waxy friend.
Next time you’ll be better prepared.
Next time, you’ll head to...
>
