Monthly Archives: December 2014

2014 as we saw it…

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Ron Miksha

The Earth and all her sciences were a big deal in 2014. Although this blog – the Mountain Mystery Blog – started in May 2014, it still caught some of the best stories of the year. In chronological order, here … Continue reading →

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Has Cuba Got Oil?

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Ron Miksha

Besides sunshine and sugar cane, what has Cuba got? It looks like the USA is serious about letting Americans party along Havana’s beaches and carry home a cigar or two. It has long bemused me that two of the continent’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Exploration, Geology | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Ghosts of Christmas Cold

Posted on December 24, 2014 by Ron Miksha

What would a modern Christmas be without Charles Dickens? For a lot of Canadians, Americans, and Brits, Dickens’ Christmas Carol is nearly the apex of Christmas culture: the story of a greedy bitter miserly capitalist whose nightmares awaken the spirit … Continue reading →

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Catastrophic Floods

Posted on December 23, 2014 by Ron Miksha

An interesting blog posting, Catastrophic History, produced on the website The Not So Solid Earth, makes the point that much of future archeology will be marine archeology. During the last ice age, a lot of sea water was captured in … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, Culture, History, Oceans, The Book | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Fat Cops; Skinny Scientists

Posted on December 22, 2014 by Ron Miksha

What makes cops fat and scientists skinny? Before I go any further, let me say that I am quoting an American Journal of Preventive Medicine study and the statement reflects an average. There are outliers. I know a few overweight … Continue reading →

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A Wonderful Life

Posted on December 18, 2014 by Ron Miksha

Are you ready? Just 7 more shopping days until December 25th – Newton’s birthday.* People celebrate Sir Isaac Newton’s birthdate in interesting ways. In this part of the world, there are a lot of coloured lights, decorated trees, and shiny … Continue reading →

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Dinos 101: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Ron Miksha

Want to know about dinosaurs? You’re in luck. The University of Alberta is offering a free 12-week course, a MOOC (Massive Online Open Course) starting January 3rd. I am thinking of signing up for it – the course is offered … Continue reading →

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The Greatest Science Quotes

Posted on December 14, 2014 by Ron Miksha

Do you mentally collect and muse over science quotes? Some reasonably good web sites have already done this, but so far none of those sites has my all-time favourite. It’s obscure. It was spoken by a geophysicist fifty years ago … Continue reading →

Posted in History, How Geophysics Works, Philosophy, Plate Tectonics | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

How the Earth’s Mystery Mineral Got Its Name

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Ron Miksha

We seldom get to see a sample of the Earth’s most common mineral. It resides within the mantle at extreme heat and pressure not found on the surface. We think that the mineral resides within the mantle – we are … Continue reading →

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Banana Peel Tectonics

Posted on December 9, 2014 by Ron Miksha

The 24th annual Harvard Ig Nobel Prizes were awarded to courageous trail-blazing scientists who pushed the limits of curiosity and credulity during the past year. Among the winners of the 2014 prestigious momento were a Canadian who won the Neuroscience … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, How Geophysics Works, Plate Tectonics | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments