The science of rocks, concerned with the study of their history, composition, and structure. The observation of thin slices of rocks under a microscope is one of the most important of petrographic technologies.

Crystal System refers to each of seven categories of crystals (cubic, tetragonal, orthorhombic, trigonal, hexagonal, monoclinic, and triclinic) classified according to the possible relations of the crystal axes.

Superconductivity is the property of zero electrical resistance and no measurable magnetic field in some substances at very low absolute temperatures.

Troglobites are small creatures that have adapted to life in a cave. To survive in the darkness, troglobites have evolved exceptional senses of smell, hearing and touch, but often lack sight and skin pigmentation.   Photo credit: Ryan Hagerty, USFWS

A measure of the ability of material to resist a force that tends to pull it apart. It is expressed as the minimum tensile stress (force per unit area) needed to split the material apart.

(Of electromagnetic radiation) having a wavelength just greater than that of the red end of the visible light spectrum. Infrared radiation has a wavelength from about 800 nm to 1 mm, and is emitted particularly by heated objects.

Ripples in space-time caused by massive objects moving with extreme accelerations. Learn more!