TIDE and CANUTE

I made an informal survey of accessible public information about geology. I wanted to see what sparked my interest and what didn’t. I’m a proofreader with a background in the humanities, but I’ve always wanted to know more about rocks and minerals.

Here’s what I looked at. I hope you find these resources as helpful as I have.

Geology Today

Geology Today is published six times a year by Wiley on behalf of the Geologists’ Association and the Geological Society of London. It publishes articles for general readers on all kinds of topics, including reviews of classic books and in-depth looks at particular rocks or minerals. Each issue begins with an entertaining digest of recent geology news (my favourite part).

I’ve read this year’s first four issues. They taught me that rocks and minerals are relevant to literally everything. Our technology, architecture, energy use, agriculture, and development as a species all depend on working with rocks and minerals. If that’s not inspiring, then I don’t know what is.

The Stones of Britain by Jon Cannon

Jon Cannon (1962–2023) was an architectural historian and expert on English medieval church buildings. The Stones of Britain: A History of Britain Through its Geology was his last book. I love the lively curiosity that shines out through Cannon’s writing. I haven’t finished The Stones of Britain yet, but I’m happy to recommend it here.

You might have noticed that the older stone buildings in Britain vary in colour from area to area due to the locally available rock. This makes British geology and British architectural history highly relevant to each other.

The Story of Earth by Robert M. Hazen

Robert M. Hazen is an eminent scientist and mineralogist in America. His book’s full title is The Story of Earth: The First 4.5 Billion Years, From Stardust to Living Planet. It begins with the birth of the universe and goes on from there.

I’ve reached the formation of the Moon (chapter 2). Hazen’s writing is clear and accessible. As a general interest reader, I find it very easy to follow.

Backseat Geologist app

I’ve been trying out an app called Backseat Geologist. It uses your phone’s location to place you on the map. You can press on the screen to read what rocks are beneath your feet or select a longer audio explanation. The binocular icon opens up an account of the landscape in front of you. This looks like a great app to take on long journeys.

Instagram and YouTube science communicators

I’m a bit wary of science communicators on social media. Without any training in geology, I could easily be taken in by AI slop or well-intentioned misinformation. When looking at social media accounts, I prioritised the communicator’s science background and evidence that they were actually human.

I was particularly impressed by @scottishgeologist and @cornwallgeologist on Instagram. These creators also lead geology tours and clearly know their stuff. Luisa Hendry (@scottishgeologist) recently received an award from the Geological Society of London.

My favourite account is @amedeobalbi on Instagram and YouTube. He’s an associate professor of astronomy and astrophysics at an Italian university, so not a geologist at all! Balbi makes fascinating videos answering questions such as what would happen on Earth if the Sun suddenly disappeared. I also enjoyed his video on whether it’s possible to terraform Mars. Watching it, I understood for the first time how much research has gone into understanding the red planet.

What sparked my interest?

My informal survey of these few resources has taught me that rocks and minerals are an all-encompassing subject. They really do matter to everything. It’s easy to see that a lot of geologists are excited about this and are committed to sharing their understanding with the wider public. The human energy around rocks and minerals really sparked my interest.

The study of geologists’ writing is the study of human ingenuity. Most geological knowledge is not immediately obvious to the naked eye. It took centuries of research for humankind to reach the current state of understanding. I find that deeply impressive.

The history of our solar system and the terrain of other planets also drew me in, far more than I expected. Amedeo Balbi’s videos are in Italian, so I had to make an effort to understand them. I stuck with it because they caught my imagination. Again, it is pretty amazing that scientists understand as much as they do about the solar system.

I feel like I should be excited about learning to identify the geological evidence in the landscapes of Britain. That’s not really pulling me in just yet, but I’ll keep going. It may be that my immediate surroundings are still too big a topic for me to get my head around.

Welsh is one of the most popular languages on Duolingo. I’ve been learning it there for several years. Duolingo has taught me a lot of vocabulary and basic sentence structures. I enjoy the gamified approach, even though it’s not the novelty it once was.

I added other learning methods when I realised that Duolingo wasn’t likely to get me speaking. I tried:

This is how I got on with each method.

Dysgu Cymraeg classes

Following this course took me back to my school days. Lessons were group classes alongside other learners. The teacher was very good, and the grammar-heavy textbook was clearly laid out.

I felt that the textbook made Welsh grammar look overwhelming. In formal Welsh, sentences begin with verbs. These vary depending on tense (e.g. past, present, future), person (e.g. you, they, she), sentence type (e.g. question, negative, affirmative), and the region of Wales. The language is richly diverse, so there are always several ways to say something.

I remember looking at one page and thinking that I’d have to learn 30 versions of one verb. It was pretty intimidating. I was relieved when the course came to an end.

Doctor Cymraeg’s online course

Doctor Cymraeg’s online video course was just what I needed after Dysgu Cymraeg. It’s taught by Welsh teacher Stephen Rule (aka Doctor Cymraeg). He’s also a lifelong learner of Welsh, and I think that’s why his teaching feels so accessible.

The course is built around a slideshow presentation of Welsh grammar. Doctor Cymraeg shows how the verbs follow patterns. This means you don’t have to learn 30 versions of one verb. Instead, you just need to understand the pattern that unites the diversity.

I dip in and out of the course and will probably need to watch each video several times. Doctor Cymraeg demystifies Welsh grammar, but there’s still a lot of it.

Say Something in Welsh

Next to Duolingo, this is my favourite Welsh-learning method. It follows a very simple listen-and-repeat format. As you learn more words and phrases, the complexity of what you can say increases. With this approach, there’s no need to learn any formal grammar. Your brain will pick it up instinctively.

Say Something in Welsh places quite a heavy demand on the listener’s attention and short-term memory. Fortunately, you can see the words written on the screen in Welsh and English.

In my work as a proofreader, I have to be very aware of the whole document. I also have to be comfortable with remembering non-English words. I’m convinced that using Say Something in Welsh exercises the mental muscles that I need to do this.

I dip in and out of this course. I’ve not finished Say Something in Welsh yet!

Amdani

The Amdani story books are written with grammar and vocabulary that learners can understand. I bought books in the entry-level series (called mynediad in Welsh).

I was also able to buy a couple on Audible, so that I could listen and read at the same time. I found I much preferred the books that I could listen to, and I wish all the Amdani books were available as audiobooks.

My favourite book, Gorau Glas, is about a police officer’s adventures in a small Welsh town.

After all this, can I speak Welsh?

I wish I could say that I’m now fluent in Welsh. I’m still very much a beginner, but a confident one. It’s frustrating that I’m not more advanced. However, I do appreciate the mental exercise that comes with learning any language.