Chuck Kuecker <ckuecker@mcs.net> writes:
> At 11:41 PM 3/6/01 +0100, Eugene.Leitl wrote:
>
> >At work, I've seen a block of rose quartz on a cushion atop a guy's CRT.
> >
> >Maybe we really deserve to get wiped.
>
> Perhaps it's just decoration. I have some (sealed!) vials of uranium ore
> (found at a rock show) and the broken crank from one of my ancient VW's on
> my bench next to my computer...just "neat" stuff, sometimes with a history.
I have a collection of interesting minerals, minerals with one unusual
property or another - ulexite (natural fiber optics), calcite (double
refraction), native metals, fossils, fluorite (fluoroscence), crystals
with interesting symmetries and a gorgeous piece of bismuth
crystals. What bothers me is that often when I buy another specimen I
get some "tips" from the resident new ager in the shop about the
special powers of the mineral. Last time it was a fine bit of
spectrolite, supposed to help one contact one's higher self. It really
irritates me that people cannot just see the minerals for what they
are: marvels in themselves. They have no need to be good for anything,
the universe doesn't have to provide existential tools for neurotic
monkeys and even if it did it would not need pretty packages.
But of course, old supersitions die slowly. If it is unusual, it has
mana.
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension! asa@nada.kth.se http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/ GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y
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