Posted on 06/11/2021 11:51:04 AM PDT by Red Badger
At 563 carats, the Star of India is the world’s largest gem-quality blue star sapphire, and is approximately 2 billion years old. (Image credit: D. Finnin/Copyright AMNH)
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What does the legendary Star of India — a 563-carat star sapphire the size of a golf ball — have in common with a 35-million-year-old petrified redwood slab; a massive cluster of sword-like crystals that looks like it came from "Game of Thrones;" and a 5-ton (4.5-metric ton) stone pillar that can "sing?"
You can see all of them, along with 5,000 other amazing stones, in the newly renovated Mignone Hall of Gems and Minerals at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City, which is reopening after a four-year closure on Saturday (June 12). There, one-of-a-kind precious gems appear alongside odd-looking rocks — some of which date to billions of years ago — that have been uniquely warped and twisted by extreme temperatures and pressures.
Individually and together, these objects tell a story of the diverse geologic processes that shape minerals on Earth's surface and deep inside our planet, beginning when the world was young and continuing to this day, museum representatives told Live Science.
Related: 13 mysterious and cursed gemstones
The Star of India, which formed about a billion years ago, was discovered in Sri Lanka in the 18th century. It is one of the best-known gems in the world, in part because it was famously and brazenly stolen from AMNH in 1964, along with several more of the museum's prized stones, by a pair of thieves named Jack "Murf the Surf" Murphy and Allan Kuhn, Smithsonian reported in 2014, on the heist's 50th anniversary. (The one-of-a-kind sapphire was recovered and went back on display in 1965).
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
Good Day to you SG.
Hope all is well with you. :)
The tag line (SG) is from a minion meme. I use it myself at work. :)
I hate to tell you, but usually on weekends, the only conversation here is between T-c and I. It’s fun to be the only hens in the coop, but sometimes, we need a rooster or two to shake things up!
"Get dressed, please."
Kitteh is looking askance at the world.
Good morning.
Those were some beautiful photos yesterday!
Now, I’m going to take a shower and try to start my day. Unngh.
I will also take a shower before I dress for church.
An emergency alert woke me up last night and it was two hours before I could get back to sleep.
I realized I missed James and Abbie’s anniversary, and tried to apologize in a text message, but he said that since it was so long since he thanked me for the housewarming gift, we were “even.” No, I’ll take them to dinner when I get there. How embarrassing.
Mari called late in the afternoon to say that Carol had had a TIA while she was driving, so she isn’t allowed to drive any more. I know those TIAs. I’ve had four, one while I was driving to work. I don’t wish them on anyone.
It was Mari’s call that made me realize the reason for James’ text: His dad went over to work on their dishwasher (licensed contractor, “new home insurance” thing) and I guess he gave James an earful about being nice to his ol’ G-Ma!
Anyway, here I am. Smelling good and sweating after my shower. Unngh.
I’m still in my pajamas, but I’ll get dressed before I go to Walmart, unlike some customers.
It occurred to me that if I have a week of meal plans and the ingredients for them, I’ll be less stressed when someone wanders through the house, “just thinking out loud” that they wonder what is being served for supper.
Hours later. And then, if I say, “Oh, nothing in particular, but if you’ll tell me what you want, the boys and I will see that it is produced,” the reply is, “No, I don’t care.”
GAH. If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t said anything. Or maybe that’s just me: when I say something, even if it’s just to the general environment, it’s because I want everyone within earshot to hear it and get a message.
Igor wasn’t quite so subtle. A phone call from the office at 1000 asking what’s for dinner. My answer: Food. Him: What kind of food. Me: Edible.
The kids picked up on it sooner than he did, and they would answer for me.
Yes, taxing, that not-really-controlling control.
There is also the old stand-by: Why? Did you have something specific in mind? If so, you’ll have to go get the ingredients.
Sadly, I’m not much fun to play Mealtime Games with. I’m more likely to voice my opinions in a quiet and calm manner than to blow up, and somehow, that quiet calmness was harder to deal with.
If I’ve spent all day with growing people who demand things, by the time meals are called for, I’d be in no mood for games. As a final resort, “If you don’t like what I fix, go out to eat.”
With the kids, we have a Ritual Exchange:
What’s for dinner?
Food.
What kind of food?
Eating food.
What kind of eating food?
The kind you’ll eat or do without.
I feel like I must, ONCE, have made the mistake of answering “What’s for dinner?” with the intended meal, prompting them all to keep asking forever.
Anyway, I’m back from Walmart. The meal list on the refrigerator says, for Monday, “Leftovers and I mean it!”
What a brave lady! LOL!
Yes, some answers seem to have the innate ability to perpetuate themselves ad infinitum. And punishment is equally so!
I’m dressed and ready to go but I have a few minutes left. The doors are most probably locked anyway.
I had to update my prayer list this morning. After yesterday’s phone call, I felt the need to add a few more names. Not just Carol’s but several other people as well.
When I get back from church I’m going to start transferring all the photos I have online, from Gmail to Photobucket, and put them onto the Slave. “If not now, when?” Or something. It won’t all be done today, but I’ll make a good dent in the project!
Best wishes for a successful accomplishment of all your plans!
You know me too well.
My allergies were killing me so I took a generic antihistamine and it was too strong. It made me stupid in church. I could hardly function when it was time to leave.
I didn’t sit with Sharon and Jerry this morning, so she probably feels slighted. I’ll know as the week wears on.
As for downloading the photos, I may get some done, but I’ll start with the oldest on my phone, since my phone is subject to go buh-bye at the most inopportune times.
Ooops. Maybe you could lie down. That’s my plan!
I will in bit because pf the lack of sleep last night. And I think tomorrow will be a very busy day, what with laundry and such. The need to pack is intense. That could mean good news. Or not.
But I have to get it done. ASAP.
And now, I’m off down the hallway. I uploaded some photos this morning of what this place looked like when someone lived in it. Yes. It’s time to move.
I’m going to see if Chuck will help me move the table out of here tomorrow so I can move some of these boxes into the kitchen. I need space to walk and to work.
Anyway, I hope you have a good evening and also have a good sleep tonight! With or without cats! ;o]
I hope you have a good night and a smoothly-functioning tomorrow.
Today’s special animal friends are the fireflies (lightning bugs, glowworms, etc.), more than 2,000 species of insects in the Lampyridae family, part of the order Coleoptera (beetles). Over 170 have been identified in the United States. Fireflies being pretty:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k72jGJTC_3o
As one might expect, there is a great deal of variety among the thousands of firefly species. For example, many species are active in the daytime and do not produce light. In general, firefly females lay eggs on or under the ground. The eggs hatch in three or four weeks, and the larvae live through the summer and fall, eating snails, worms, slugs, and other insect larvae. Some have grooves in their jaws to dump digestive acid directly on the prey. This is gross. I’m going to have nightmares again.
Where was I? Carnivorous larvae ... the larvae hibernate in the ground through the winter, sometimes for several year depending on the species and climate. All larvae are bioluminescent; they are colloquially called “glowworms.” It is believed that the luminescence deters predation, since the larvae are toxic to most animals. After wintering underground, under tree bark, or beneath leaves, they wake up, eat more stuff, and pupate, emerging after a week or so as adult beetles. In many species, the female adult strongly resembles the larva, except that she has compound rather than simple eyes.
The most common species in Europe is Lampyris noctiluca. The female of this species does not fly, while the male does. The males produce light weakly and intermittently, while the females glow brightly. Adults in this species have no mouth; unable to eat, they die soon after mating. The luminescence of adult fireflies is a mating signal, helping adults of the same species to find one another. In some habitats, more than one species coexists, and mating preference goes to males who distinguish themselves as “our species” most strongly. (Consider the obvious metaphor while watching more fireflies being pretty.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pwXKKaSJ58
Synchronization is observed in many species and habitats around the world. So is other weird stuff. Females of the Photuris genus mimic the flashes of the Photinus genus, attracting and eating Photinus males and incorporating their chemicals to enhance the resistance to predation of the Photuris female. (Consider the obvious metaphor while watching more fireflies being pretty.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXr6qMwPkFs
Firefly populations are declining in many areas. Factors include pesticides, light pollution, habitat fragmentation, replacement of native with introduced flora, and urbanization. You can help fireflies find their mates by turning off outdoor lights at night and closing drapes or blinds. Support habitat for larvae by allowing leaf litter or fallen sticks to remain on the ground. Avoid chemical lawn fertilizers and allow native greenery to grow. Develop natural water sources such as streams and ephemeral ponds.
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