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
Comment on Do you have what it takes to become a geologist?
DudeDudenson@lemmings.world 5 weeks ago
Are you telling me they put them in front of actual rocks and let them lick them in finals?
Glimpythegoblin@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
mitchty@lemmy.sdf.org 5 weeks 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.
Zoomboingding@lemmy.world 5 weeks 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 5 weeks 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?
Zoomboingding@lemmy.world 5 weeks 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 5 weeks 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.
lowleveldata@programming.dev 5 weeks ago
Fact
morbidcactus@lemmy.ca 5 weeks 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 5 weeks 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.
Flocklesscrow@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
"Well yes it looks like a rock, but it tastes like a metal