Andrew Bloodworth, BGS Science Director for Minerals and Waste gave a most compelling talk on our insatiable hunger for the Earth’s raw materials. Using the ubiquitous mobile phone as an example, where in the last three decades, rare minerals, previously almost unknown outside of the laboratory now focus the efforts of mining engineers the world over to satisfy our technological hunger. Andrew convincingly argued that the threats to supply come not from a shortage of such materials within the Earth’s crust, but from the countries in which many of them are concentrated. His remarkably clear models of extraction processes conclusively demonstrated that the supply problem solution lay not in our collecting and expensively extracting with poor efficiency the vanishingly small amounts from each item, but in improving the beneficiation processes at source and by re-working tailings dumps. Whilst taking one’s redundant phone to a collecting point has a feel good factor especially for politicians, it don’t cut much mustard in the real world, sorry. Apart from the risk that key deposits are held by a few, the increasingly appalling environmental costs of extraction, demands for water, widespread pollution and so on, will act as a limiter. Andrew’s wide ranging and for me gripping talk concluded with shocking tales of the sad lot of many, including children, in the third world, forced by circumstances and /or evil gangmasters to quarry the rocks by hand to bring ore to market, ore without which our gadgets would not work. Thought provoking isn’t it?

In response to Janet’s note of thanks came Andrew’s reply:

Thanks for your thanks, and also a very enjoyable evening. There were many questions and conversations to be had after the talk – always a good sign. My congratulations to you, your committee and members for running what is clearly a vibrant and wide-ranging programme. As a professional (sometimes given to a little cynicism after 30 or so years in the business) it is heartening to experience such enthusiasm for my science!

Mike Preston’s Rock of the Month, and the tale of the rock that changed his life and that has probably changed the lives of many of his geology students, was perfect for the slot.  The clues in the rock–raindrops, bedding and ripples, sand particles, footprints–testify to the great unfolding revelations that intelligent appraisal of a single ‘lump’ can bring about.  This glimpse into an era gone hundreds of millions of years is tantalising, even a little magic and explains why many are hooked on the science.  Thanks Mike