| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
trtlman
Joined: 28 Jun 2011
Posts: 172
Location: Washington
|
 Posted: Jun 16, 2012 12:43 Post subject: Are Minerals Alive? |
|
|
I recently read somewhere that scientists discovered rocks and minerals are not dead matter but they are in fact alive. Granted I did read this while reading about crystal healing which is why I doubt the claim. I figured since there are many of you here who have advanced degrees in the subject of minerals that you could help sepperate fact from fiction on the matter. And to be clear I am not a believer in crystal healing, I was reading the article just for informative purposes. Though I don't believe in it, the idea of crystal healing and why people believe in it has always interested me
_________________
Daniel |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Tobi
Site Admin
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Posts: 4235
Location: Germany
|
| Posted: Jun 16, 2012 12:53 Post subject: Re: Are Minerals Alive? |
|
|
I am not a natural scientist, but i dare to say that minerals are NOT alive. We all love them and make them our passion, but they are dead matter, they always were and they always will be.
Even organic material like amber - which isn't even a real mineral - was only PART of a living creature, not alive itself. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Jean Sendero
Joined: 20 Dec 2009
Posts: 270
Location: Hudson Heights, Quebec
|
| Posted: Jun 16, 2012 12:54 Post subject: Re: Are Minerals Alive? |
|
|
you must be joking?
J |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
trtlman
Joined: 28 Jun 2011
Posts: 172
Location: Washington
|
| Posted: Jun 16, 2012 12:59 Post subject: Re: Are Minerals Alive? |
|
|
That is pretty much what I figured but everytime I hear "scientists have said" I always want to check out. I find it fascinating how so many people are misled into the beliefs of crystal healin and thinking of minerals as being alive. But what about the claim of minerals containing energy? I have tested stones before and found no energy source in them, atleast not any electrical energy source.
_________________
Daniel |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1531
Location: Catalonia
|
| Posted: Jun 16, 2012 13:02 Post subject: Re: Are Minerals Alive? |
|
|
| Crystals grow from nothing, crystals often get sick, sometimes even are attacked by bacteria, and eventually crystals die. The difference is that they usually live much more than a million years. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
trtlman
Joined: 28 Jun 2011
Posts: 172
Location: Washington
|
| Posted: Jun 16, 2012 13:05 Post subject: Re: Are Minerals Alive? |
|
|
| Jean Sendero wrote: | you must be joking?
J |
This is an interesting topic with a rich history and I think it makes for a great off topic discussion
_________________
Daniel |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1531
Location: Catalonia
|
| Posted: Jun 16, 2012 13:21 Post subject: Re: Are Minerals Alive? |
|
|
| trtlman wrote: | | But what about the claim of minerals containing energy? I have tested stones before and found no energy source in them, atleast not any electrical energy source. |
All the objects contain a great deal of energy. At room temperature molecular bonds are continuously stretching and bending, which is known as caloric energy. In addition, these very bonds have a lot of chemical energy as well, even at an absolute zero temperature, which is the reason why cars can move theirselves when we fill the gas tank. And what to say about the energy stored in the atom nucleus? Everybody knows. So all the minerals contain an incredible amount of energy, but whether that energy can be disease healing is another story some people believe in (but I don't). |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Tracy
Joined: 15 Sep 2006
Posts: 551
Location: Toronto
|
| Posted: Jun 16, 2012 13:31 Post subject: Re: Are Minerals Alive? |
|
|
| Carles Millan wrote: | | Crystals grow from nothing, crystals often get sick, sometimes even are attacked by bacteria, and eventually crystals die. The difference is that they usually live much more than a million years. |
...um, Carles, how does a crystal get sick?
Staying on this off topic, minerals are not lifeforms. Crystal healing is a belief/faith system and followers believe that crystals contain energy and powers, and moreover that they can sense this energy. I respect anyone's right to have a belief system but there is no hard scientific evidence to date to support that minerals are alive.
"Scientists" say just about everything that a newspaper or website wants to print, or that sounds good on TV. For every "scientist" that claims one idea there is at least one other that disputes it. Remember all the "scientists" who thought (at the time) that Earth was flat and the center of the solar system? Or who spent their lives trying to find a way to turn things into gold? You can't always believe things just because "scientists" say them.
Trust me, I'm a scientist. :)
- Tracy
_________________
"Wisdom begins in wonder" - Socrates |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
trtlman
Joined: 28 Jun 2011
Posts: 172
Location: Washington
|
| Posted: Jun 16, 2012 13:50 Post subject: Re: Are Minerals Alive? |
|
|
Thank you both, great information. I wish I took some broder science classes in highschool, then perhaps I wouldn't sound like such a moron lol. I was always into animal sciences and never paid much attention to physics, geology, chemistry or other such sciences. then again the purpose of science is to learn so I would say I'm doing pretty good so far :)
_________________
Daniel |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1531
Location: Catalonia
|
| Posted: Jun 16, 2012 14:43 Post subject: Re: Are Minerals Alive? |
|
|
| Tracy wrote: | | ...um, Carles, how does a crystal get sick? |
Hi Tracy,
Thanks for your accurate answer. I agree.
By saying minerals getting sick I meant crystals broken by tectonic movements, their color changed by the sun light, corroded by natural chemical agents, or even attacked by some bacteria. Yes, I know, this does not match with the accepted definition of a sickness, but it's not far from. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
GneissWare
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California
|
| Posted: Jun 16, 2012 15:01 Post subject: Re: Are Minerals Alive? |
|
|
| Tracy wrote: |
...um, Carles, how does a crystal get sick?
Trust me, I'm a scientist. :)
|
You have heard of pyrite disease or marcasite disease? So, they must be able to get sick!
Now, your job is to come up with a Sulfur LD50 for marcasite ;=)) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1531
Location: Catalonia
|
| Posted: Jun 16, 2012 15:38 Post subject: Re: Are Minerals Alive? |
|
|
| GneissWare wrote: | | You have heard of pyrite disease or marcasite disease? So, they must be able to get sick! |
Indeed there is some literature about pyrite disease in several places. Just look at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byne%27s_disease#Pyrite_disease
So anyone can say minerals get sick (sometimes)... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mjbainbridge
Joined: 15 Dec 2011
Posts: 2
Location: Ontario
|
| Posted: Jun 16, 2012 16:23 Post subject: Re: Are Minerals Alive? |
|
|
| What "scientists say" is also often misquoted, misunderstood, and/or misrepresented. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Tracy
Joined: 15 Sep 2006
Posts: 551
Location: Toronto
|
| Posted: Jun 16, 2012 18:30 Post subject: Re: Are Minerals Alive? |
|
|
| GneissWare wrote: | | ...Now, your job is to come up with a Sulfur LD50 for marcasite ;=)) |
Interesting challenge. But sulfur is realtively nontoxic, just bad-smelling. I'd worry more about the GI effects of iron ingestion - that is if I were to eat a lot of marcasites. ;)
Ah yes, you reminded me of my pyrite "pinecone" which succumbed to pyrite disease.
- Tracy
_________________
"Wisdom begins in wonder" - Socrates |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
GneissWare
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California
|
| Posted: Jun 16, 2012 18:34 Post subject: Re: Are Minerals Alive? |
|
|
| Tracy wrote: | | GneissWare wrote: | | ...Now, your job is to come up with a Sulfur LD50 for marcasite ;=)) |
Interesting challenge. But sulfur is realtively nontoxic, just bad-smelling. I'd worry more about the GI effects of iron ingestion - that is if I were to eat a lot of marcasites. ;)
Ah yes, you reminded me of my pyrite "pinecone" which succumbed to pyrite disease.
- Tracy |
Sulfur is relatively nontoxic for carbon-based lifeforms, but seems toxic at high doses for pyrite and marcasite (iron-based lifeforms?!?). |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ 
Register
Log in
Forgotten your password?
