# "So, what are you going to do with a geology degree?" "Fight terrorism!" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 15, 2001, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505 "2001-10-15T17:10:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/1 "2001-10-15T17:10:05Z")
From the [San Francisco Chronicle](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/10/15/MN232579.DTL&type=science): > [@](#): > > **Geology may give bin Laden away > Experts study recent video with hope of identifying his location in Afghanistan** > > Geologists are examining rocks visible in a recent videotape of Osama bin Laden, in hopes of shedding light on his whereabouts. > > In theory, by identifying the rock types, they might provide new clues to bin Laden’s movements. But so far they disagree in their interpretations of the videotape. That’s partly because of uncertainty about the rocks’ color and distance from the camera. > > "You would be surprised at how many people wonder whether or not the geologic information in the picture will be useful. The short answer is ‘yes, most definitely,’ " said John Shroder Jr., a geologist at the University of Nebraska at Omaha who has worked in Afghanistan. > > Unfortunately, he and other geologists complained, the available tape is frustratingly short – just several minutes – and the image is of poor quality. > > The U.S. government has apparently approached geologists for their advice about the videotape. Shroder told The Chronicle he had received a number of calls about the videotape. He strongly implied – but refused to categorically state – that one caller was associated with the government. > > A Pentagon spokesman declined to say whether the videotape is under analysis. “That would go into our areas of intelligence gathering that we aren’t able to talk about” because of security restrictions, Defense Department spokesman Maj. Tim Blair replied late Friday. ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/2 "2001-10-15T19:02:50Z")
Thanks for the link! I’m distibuting it widely… ---
**Author:** ![Spritle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Spritle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spritle)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/3 "2001-10-15T19:28:27Z")
Gosh, what a bunch of geeks, those geologists! :rolleyes: I bet we chemists could whip any day! 😉 Actually, I find this really interesting. I never really thought about doing such a thing - analyzing the rock formations etc. Really cool applications of science! ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/4 "2001-10-15T19:36:21Z")
Now if someone could _cause_ a limited area earthquake (or even re-direct a small meteor strike)… ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/5 "2001-10-15T19:36:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spritle \* > \*\*Gosh, what a bunch of geeks, those geologists! \*\* Damn skippy we are. And proud of it. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/6 "2001-10-15T19:42:18Z")
So Geobabe, are you going to tell us where he is hiding? ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/7 "2001-10-15T19:46:35Z")
If he decides to hole up anywhere in western New England, you can count on me. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/8 "2001-10-15T19:51:03Z")
Everyone’s got a way they can help, no matter how small… ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/9 "2001-10-15T19:51:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spritle \* > \*\*Gosh, what a bunch of geeks, those geologists! :rolleyes: I bet we chemists could whip any day! 😉 > \*\* Har! That’s what chemists, physicists, and mathematicians are for–to provide us Geologists (Los Mas Machos de Todas las Sciencias!) someone to beat up on. We’d go after Biologists, too, but picking on them is just _too_ easy… ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/10 "2001-10-15T19:59:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spritle \* > Gosh, what a bunch of geeks, those geologists! :rolleyes: I bet we chemists could whip any day! 😉 Well, this mathematician has _groped_ a geologist! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/11 "2001-10-15T20:12:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pantellerite \* > \*\* Geologists (Los Mas Machos de Todas las Sciencias!) \*\* I’ll have to remember that one for the next time I change my sig. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/12 "2001-10-15T20:23:23Z")
We Civil Engineers use Geology, Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry (Metallurgy anyway), AND freakin Biology before BREAKFAST and spit out Golden Gate Bridges like a piece of chicken stuck in our teeth! ME’s make bombs. CE’s make targets. ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/13 "2001-10-15T20:34:08Z")
**UncleBill** , you’re so _cute_ when you’re posturing. ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/14 "2001-10-15T20:50:22Z")
Engineers? Puh-Leeze! So you guys can follow a cookbook, big deal; we WRITE the cookbook! > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Geobabe \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Pantellerite \* > > \*\* Geologists (Los Mas Machos de Todas las Sciencias!) \*\* > > I’ll have to remember that one for the next time I change my sig. \*\* Just spell “Ciencias” correctly, and don’t forget the accent over the “a” in “mas”! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/15 "2001-10-15T20:55:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by UncleBill \* > We Civil Engineers…make targets. Indeed - but are you sure you want to boast about that in a terrorism-related thread?! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![caveman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caveman/32/7242_2.png) [@caveman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caveman)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/16 "2001-10-15T21:06:11Z")
All Your Sciences Are Belong To Us (Geographers, that is…) ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/17 "2001-10-15T21:12:50Z")
Just remember who it is around here who makes his living killing unwanted organisms! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/18 "2001-10-15T21:41:53Z")
Here are some [more](http://msnbc.com/news/642301.asp?0dm=C21AN) geoscintists on the forefront of anti-terrorism. Sheesh! Delta Force has nothin’ on you guys. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/19 "2001-10-15T21:57:07Z")
Oh wow, I never even thought of that angle. Hella cool! I realize what a geek I am when I find myself trying to classify the rocks I see on TV shows and when on long trips. I also have to give mad props to anyone that manages to get their degree in geology. I had to take a _lot_ of geology/earth science courses for my archaeology degree, and they were the most difficult courses I took! ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505/20 "2001-10-15T22:25:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rasa \* > \*\* I also have to give mad props to anyone that manages to get their degree in geology. I had to take a _lot_ of geology/earth science courses for my archaeology degree, and they were the most difficult courses I took! \*\* You also have to have a certain mindset to be a geologist, to be able to get excited over stuff like this: > [@](#): > > Carbonatites typically contain \>50% carbonate minerals by volume and are undersaturated in silica (Barker, 1996). They are useful in studying mantle source because they are not prone to crustal contamination. They are associated with highly undersaturated silicate rocks rich in nepheline: nephelinite-ijolite, nepheline syenite and kimberlite (Jessey). They occur in formations of small areal extent, a few tens of square kilometers to a maximum of perhaps 1000 square km. They are mostly of Mesozoic age or younger, although a few Precambrian carbonatites are known. The formations are usually plug-like in shape, suggesting a subvolcanic origin. They always have associated alkali metasomatism, addition of Na and K to wall rocks. Alteration forms an envelope around the carbonatite. Rocks of the carbonatite complex are highly brecciated with multiple intrusive phases present, and are found in stable craton or continental rift environments. That’s from a paper I wrote for my Tectonics and Earth History class. I started reading about carbonatites and went, “Man, this is fookin’ COOL!” I’m a geek, baby. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-a-geology-degree-fight-terrorism/87505.md?page=2)