Where does humanity get most of its' iron, and what do these rocks tell us about the ancient Earth?

Today, we'll learn about banded iron formations, the backbone of the modern steel industry an important stop in the search for early life and oxygen, and a rock that is impossible to make today. It's rare to find a rock as important to both economics and research. Along the way, we'll take a breath of fresh air, meet orange pond scum in a forest stream, and find a dagger carved from a meteorite.

Extra Credit: Find as many steel objects as possible around you, or search for bog iron in a local swamp.

What are the oldest disputed fossils on Earth? Why are they disputed?

Today, we wrap up our tour of Nuvvuagittuq in northern Quebec, 3.8 billion years old, March 3rd on the Earth Calendar. In 2017, microscopic rusty threads were discovered inside these rocks, thinner than a human hair. Were they bacteria, or something else entirely? Stay tuned to find out!

Extra Credit: Learn how to make a chemical garden, or find a piece of chert, flint, jasper, agate, or onyx.

There is a rock that should be incredibly easy to form in theory, but is incredibly difficult to make in reality. Scientists have sat in labs waiting decades for crystals that never grow. The oceans should be full of the same crystals, but not so. Today, we learn about The Dolomite Problem, a paradox that has taken two centuries to crack. In 2023, scientists think they’ve finally found the solution.

Extra Credit: Eat some citrus, find some Epsom salt, or sniff some swamp gas.