Curated category
Natural materials
- SchistThe word schist comes from the Greek verb σχίζειν, which means to split. This ancient term describes the rock's most obvious trait.
- ClayA 23,500 times magnified electron micrograph reveals the plate-like structure of smectite clay. These tiny sheets consist of aluminium and silicon ions…
- GravelA single grain of gravel measures between two millimeters and sixty-four millimeters across. This specific range separates it from sand below and cobbles…
- SoilA single gram of soil contains billions of organisms, mostly microbial and largely unexplored. This living component makes up 70 percent of the biomass in a…
- Natural rubberThe Olmec culture of Mesoamerica used natural latex from the Hevea tree to make balls for their ballgame as early as 1600 BC.
- WoodIn the Canadian province of New Brunswick, scientists uncovered plant fossils dating back approximately 395 to 400 million years.
- MineralIn 1998, the International Mineralogical Association established strict criteria for what constitutes a distinct mineral.