[Rockhounds] Re: Survival of the firmest - Scientists say rocks evolve too

[Tom Corson]

Harrumph...

Maybe I'm just getting cantankerous in my old age, but I'm kind of appalled
that such a big deal is being made of this new "discovery".

There is no new science here (none that I can find), just "spin".

For example, the fact that oxides, carbonates and the like require oxygen
and that most of said oxygen was produced long ago by stromatolites and
friends is old news.

These facts are just being "spun" into publicity-gleaning sound bytes - like
"minerals evolving". To me, this is science at it's worst.

I watched the video interview with Robert Hazen on the Carnegie site and
frankly I thought I was listening to some kind of Werner Erhard pitch.

My take-away from the whole thing is that some otherwise very well regarded
scientists have come up with this alleged new "theory", the press is eating
it up, and everybody acts like they've discovered the mineralogical
equivalent of the Rosetta Stone.

Given the people associated with the publication of this new "theory", I am
more than a little baffled (and disappointed)....

If I'm missing something here, someone please let me know....

TC

PS: Happy Holidays.
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Thomas W. Corson	 	 OBG International	 
corson at infodyn.com	 Green Valley, AZ 85614	 
	 
http://www.obgrocks.com	 
World-Class Minerals For World-Class Collectors	
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