news

News and updates about Show Me Rockhounds Kansas City, rock club meetings, rock collecting, or our websites.

Now With HTTPS

Good news! Showmerockhounds.com now uses HTTPS by default, so it will be better and more secure. As the EFF points out as part of their Encrypt the Web initiative, strong encryption protects our users in various ways, including defending against surveillance of content and communications, cookie theft, account hijacking, and other web security flaws. HTTPS sites also rank higher in Google search results. The best part is that you don’t have to do a thing. Just keep visiting showmerockhounds.com .

For more information, see here: https://en.blog.wordpress.com/2016/04/08/https-everywhere-encryption-for-all-wordpress-com-sites/

April Field Trip Polls

As you may know, we are having a field trip to Marquette, KS in April. We need to get some feedback to plan the trip. Please answer these 3 polls below.

We are considering staying overnight and also visiting Lake Kanopolis and Lake Wilson.

How shall we get there?

If you want to go on this field trip but you are not yet a member of the club, bring $5 for your membership fee and you can join during the trip.

Spring Forward to the Show
mineral clock with agates and apache tears

Photo by Stephanie Reed

We interrupt the Spring Gem and Mineral Show to remind you to set your clock forward one hour tonight for Daylight Savings Time.

This clock is from the collection of David Reed. It contains agates, Apache tears (obsidian), a craft store clock kit, and lots of resin. It looks pretty good with his other rock clock.

Christmas Parties 2015

Photos from the Show-Me Rockhounds and IGAMS Christmas parties.

smrwestport1

The Show-Me Rockhounds Christmas Party. There was also a White Elephant gift exchange in which everyone chose gifts (sight unseen) that were perfectly suited for them.

smrwestport2

The Show-Me Rockhounds Christmas Party. Here’s another photo because I couldn’t decide which one was better.

SOEXCITED

Valerie is so excited about her gift!

2015 igams presents

The presents at the IGAMS White Elephant exchange. There were things like necklaces, books, calendars, candy, and of course mineral specimens.

2015 igams meeting

The IGAMS December meeting. It was fairly short. There was also dinner.

2015 igams game

Preparing for the gift exchange at IGAMS.

 

New Officers

An important announcement from our November meeting: Our President, Martin Mueller, has accepted the position of Vice President of IGAMS and is stepping down as President of Show-Me Rockhounds. Thus, we had an election and unanimously voted in David Reed as our new President and FC Watts as our new Vice President. Best of luck to all three in their new positions.

Fall Kansas City Gem Show Coming Soon

Flyer describing the time and place of the 2015 fall gem show at the Kansas City Expo Center

It’s almost that time again. The weather is getting cooler, the leaves are falling off the trees, and the fall gem show is next week. It will be at the Kansas City Expo Center November 6-8. The fall show is not as big as the spring show (in March) but is still well worth attending, as it’s only $6. IGAMS will be there and if you signed up to help, hopefully you know who you are because I don’t. Also, feel free to print out this flyer and share it with your friends, co-workers, and anyone else who might be interested.

Earth Science Week 2015

Earth Science Week is October 11-17, 2015

Earth Science Week logoEvery year, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MO DNR) has an Earth Science Week full of fun activities for kids and adults. From their website: Earth Science Week aims to help the public gain a better understanding and appreciation for the Earth Sciences and to encourage stewardship of the Earth. This year’s activities will be held Oct. 11-17 and will celebrate the theme “Visualizing Earth’s Systems.” This year’s theme will engage young people and others in discovering the Earth sciences, remind people that Earth science is all around us, encourage Earth stewardship through understanding, and to motivate geoscientists to share their knowledge and enthusiasm about the Earth.

Go ahead – be a citizen scientist!

Enter the photography, visual arts and essay contests! All eligible submissions must be submitted to the American Geosciences Institute and received electronically by 4 p.m. CST, Friday, Oct. 16, 2015.

Participate in events during Earth Science Week. Plan a visit to the Missouri Geological Survey during Earth Science Week. The Missouri Geological Survey will be open during Earth Science Week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday-Friday, Oct. 12-16.

Read our Governor’s Proclamation!

  • Sunday, Oct. 11 is International EarthCache Day – Explore the world using your GPS.
  • Monday, Oct. 12 Earth Science Literacy Day – Learn the fundamentals of geosciences with Earth Science: Big Idea, a video series developed to explain why Earth science literacy is important.
  • Tuesday, October 13 is No Child Left Inside Day – NCLI Day encourages students to go outside and research Earth science in the field like a professional geoscientist.
  • Wednesday, Oct. 14 is National Fossil Day – Visitors to the Ed Clark Museum of Missouri Geology, in Rolla, will receive a Crinoid fossil. Also, be sure to check out the fossils in the limestone of the Missouri State Capitol.
  • Thursday, Oct. 15 is The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut – Register and join millions in the “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” earthquake drill Oct. 15 at 10:15 a.m.
  • Thursday, Oct. 15 is Geoscience for Everyone Day – Do your part to help young people from underrepresented communities explore exciting careers in the geosciences.
  • Friday, Oct. 16 is Geologic Map Day – Special mapping exhibits were on display at the Ed Clark Museum of Missouri Geology during Geologic Map Day to promote awareness of the study, uses and importance of geologic mapping for education, science, business, and public policy concerns.
  • Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17 and 18 the Ozark Mountain Gem and Mineral Society’s Gem and Jewelry Show will be held in the at the Expo Center in Springfield, Mo. – Geologists with the Missouri Geological Survey will host an educational booth Saturday, Oct. 17.
  • Saturday, Oct. 17 is International Archaeology Day – Hosted by the Archaeological Institute of America, this special event is a celebration of archaeology and the thrill of discovery.

What color were the dinosaurs?
A dinosaur fossil of anchiomis huxleyi

Johan Lindgren/Sci. Rep.

In this article from Chemical & Engineering News, researchers use chemistry to find out what colors the dinosaurs were.

Researchers led by Johan Lindgren of Lund University, in Sweden, used a battery of analytical techniques to scrutinize the molecular makeup of a fossilized Anchiornis huxleyi specimen. This dinosaur is a distant relative of today’s birds, and its remnants were preserved for about 150 million years in what is now northeastern China.

The researchers’ thorough analyses have allowed them to conclude that some of the dinosaur’s melanin, or pigment molecules, and melanin-producing organelles have also survived the intervening epochs (Sci. Rep. 2015, DOI: 10.1038/srep13520).

Scientists have previously observed signs of similar biomaterials in fossils, but studies have lacked sufficient evidence to rule out the idea that these materials come from bacteria or other microbial intruders.

Using methods including infrared spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, Lindgren and his colleagues have shown that the sample’s fossilized feathers contain substances that closely resemble modern animal—not bacterial—eumelanin, the pigments responsible for brown and black coloration.

Click here to read the whole article.

Association Picnic

The Association’s Summer Picnic will be Sunday, August 23 at Antioch Park, shelter #3. The rock swap begins at 8 am, lunch is at noon, and the scholarship auction is after lunch. This is a good chance to see people from every “facet” of mineralogy, including rocks, minerals, fossils, crystals, paleontology, gem cutting, flint knapping, and more. The Association will provide the hamburgers, hot dogs, and soda, and they ask that everybody bring a side dish, salad, or a dessert to share. Also, bring something for the rock swap and cash so you can buy things at the auction. The auction raises money for scholarships for college students majoring in geology, paleontology, or other rock-related areas.

Here are photos from last year’s picnic. https://plus.google.com/b/109214060991924897753/events/gallery/ct46l01qks94sg53lmqg78st21o

If you use Google+ you can RSVP to the picnic here: https://plus.google.com/b/109214060991924897753/events/c2lhou5h8lkt725kn0hlafeu92k