Paper
Minerals Matter: Science, Technology, and Society
Published Jan 1, 2022 · B. Dutrow
GSA Today
1
Citations
0
Influential Citations
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Minerals, the solid material comprising planet Earth, are within the intellectual realm of earth scientists but are much more fundamental to science, technology, and society. From the beginnings of humankind, Earth’s minerals have been essential for technological advances. Prior to written language, paintings made of mineral pigments adorned caves. The advent of human-produced fire owes its source to two minerals: pyrite and flint. Early Homo species were likely the first mineralogists, separating different minerals into useful tools based on their physical properties to identify, in part, those minerals that perfectly fractured when worked. Utilization of different minerals through melting, smelting, or physical manipulation defines the Ages of Man: Stone, Bronze, Iron, and Technology. Minerals are important basic resources that can inform us about how solid materials work on the atomic level and be modified to humanity’s benefit. They serve as templates for technologically advanced materials, necessary to fulfill many societal needs. The attributes of minerals to science, technology, and society are illustrated by a single mineral, elbaite. Elbaite is a species of the tourmaline supergroup that incorporates nearly the entire periodic table in its structure (Fig. 1). For geoscientists, it embeds unparalleled geologic information when properly interpreted; for technology, it was utilized during WWII as a pressure sensor to monitor underwater explosions due to its piezoelectric properties; and for society, it is a mineral that contains lithium, an element critical to powering modern electronic devices. The expansive subject of minerals is familiar to Geological Society of America (GSA) audiences. Several past presidents have spoken on minerals and related topics, presumably beginning with the second president of GSA, James Dwight Dana, in 1890— perhaps best known for his enduring textbook The Manual of Mineralogy, first published in 1848 (J.C. Wiley and Sons), and now in its twenty-third edition (Klein and Dutrow, 2007). Why should we continue to care about mineral sciences in the twenty-first century? Because minerals still matter.
Minerals are fundamental to science, technology, and society, providing essential information and templates for technologically advanced materials.
Full text analysis coming soon...