This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
People are sometimes under the impression that science is a rather stuff, humorless endeavor. I grew up never knowing that scientists actually know how to tell jokes and have a good time. If I had known that at least a quarter of geology consists of making terrible puns and frequently involves beer, I'd probably have been far more likely to dive in during college, rather than spending a couple decades thinking there was no way someone like me could have such a serious career. I mean, yes, there is a lot of hard work and difficult thinking involve. There's frequently math. There are fussy measurements and tedious experiments. There's tromping through miles of underbrush in the rain and bugs to get to an outcrop. But there's also quite a bit of fun involved. This song captures some of the adventurous spirit of the science. I wish I'd seen it way back when, because it accurately reflects just how awesome geology actually is.
Learning the basics of geology doesn't have to be boring, either. If you want to brush up on your basics, here is a song about the various rock types, done Monty Python style.
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Now if you'll excuse me, I think I will go grab my not-so-tiny hammer and go make inquiries of a nice igneous outcrop. Squee!