Yesterday I was on a fieldtrip to the south eastern regions of Scania (which is the most southern Province of Sweden, where I live). It took me among many things to a very small village by the ocean called Simrislund. This place is interesting geological-wise since its one of few places where Cambrian quartzite is very abundat at the surface as bedrock. Most of the bedrock is smooth and grinded flat by the last iceage. Sprinkled all over the landscape and the shoreline is oilshale since this used to cover the cambrian rock but nowdays is eroded away. Further inland the shale is still intact as bedrock. The shale is also full of fossils like brachiopods and trilobites.

One other interesting aspect of the Cambrian quartzite is the human impact on it. At Simrislund there are many rocks with carvings on it from the Scandinavian bronzeage over 3000 years ago. This makes this place both culturally and geologically worth a visit.

Ive just started a new blog. A Swedish blog on geoscience. A sister to this blog basically. So if you dont speak Swedish, you probably couldnt care less. I will probably update the Swedish blog more often also. But this blog (Antimonite) will remain and I will write posts on Swedish geoscience for the international readers also in the future.

http://terraincognita.blogsome.com/

Someone googled to my summerdorment geology blog with the frase "do swedish people get sick a lot". This sparked my attention and gave me a topic related to the enviroment.

The short answer to the question is: No we dont. We have one of the most healthy populations in the world as far as I know. People grow older here than in most other countries. We have the lowest number smokers in the world for instance. People have lots of knowledge on whats healthy food and whats not. Lots of people exercise reguarly. And its a silly myth that we have the highest suicide rate in the world. We are somewhere in the middle on that- below the US for example. I think Russia is one of the worst on suicide. A happy and healthy population. People in Sweden are the seventh most happiest people in the world according to studies. Americans in comparison are placed on number 23. That means we laugh a little bit more

Take that all who thinks that Sweden is a dark and horrible socialist country almost belonging to the Soviet Union. Aint true. Ok.. a little bit true, we have some socialists politics here sometimes - but not like Soviet…

However there are some dark clouds on the sky - which could be the things the person was looking for when googling. We have a high number of people calling in sick for work. But this has less to do with sickness than with the fact that our employment laws allows people to skip work without risk of loosing their jobs. Another and more important dark cloud is the inreasing rate of people becoming more and more allergic to things. Some scientists believe that this could be caused by to well insulated homes and too little exposure to "filth". People tend to build houses more and more in Sweden that are energy efficient. Ecological houses that need very little energy. Nice and super clean. Basically that means houses with a more restricted and controlled ventilation system. For me, always sleeping with my bedroom window opened, breathing fresh air these modern houses sounds like a nightmare. Ill take a drafty old cottage anytime.

Im 100% sure of the truth of theory saying that the increased allergies are caused by the simple fact that people live in "enviromental-eco-houses" and dont get exposed enough to fresh (that is unfiltered and thus containing pollens and "dust" air. I mean - the simple fact that children growing up in suburbs and wealthier enviroments are more allergic than people living on the country side in older buildings where you open up the windows for fresh air - is all the evidence I need. Its just common sence that the complex human organism and our immunesystem needs the exposure of the "great outdoors" on a constant basis to work. People living in i cocoon cant hardly develop what the need and therefor cant withstand pollen and dust in the same way.

Typical Swedish modern eco-friendly but unhealthy living. Saves energy. Probably hardly needs any energy at all to keep the heat since it stores the heat people generate. "Saves the planet" - but basically slashes the health of people by huge numbers probably. Homo Sapiens is the product of millions of years of hard evolution - but all that time we have lived and breathed the open air. Its only the last 20 years that our living conditions have becomed so cocooned. And its also the last 20 years that the number of children developing allergies has increased dramatically. Theres an obvious connection. People are going to notice this when more countries start building houses of "Swedish air-tight energy saving standards". Basically Sweden is by far more advanced in this field than other nations - but its nothing to be proud of since it seems to have drawbacks.

The houses are not the only fault - the hysterical view on cleaing is another big piece. Combine the houses with our frenzic need to vacuum (like every day - otherwise you live in misery according to some) and you have an ugly combination of insulated enviroments with air filled with vacuumed particles.

Swedes - happier and healthier than most - but also idiots when it comes to fresh air and dust.

Update: An article on the growing demand on eco-friendly houses.

Im going to get political. Hardcore. Not much to say on geology these days. Hopefully I will have more on geology in a few days time - but in general its going to take most of the summer before the geology picks up here again. Its all connected to the studies you see. In class - lots of material - out of class - less material.

If you dont like me complaining about very liberal political issues, dont read any further. You have been warned!

As a modern European, I love my social freedoms (wich some americans regard as "immoral", "decadent" or "eurotrash"). I value them more than the economical freedom of America. I have no eny on that part really. I wouldnt trade my rights to say or think what ever I do for a little bit less taxes. Money isnt everything. America has social freedoms as well, but its quite obvious that the christian moral norms apply, and that all who thinks different is thought of as strange - this I know from Swedish people living there. Of course it varies from state to state. Very conservative in some parts, very liberal in some. But in comparison, western Europe is all roughly like San Fransisco, and since 9/11 and your patriot act and such, Im not very impressed with the American view on freedom in general. On the contrary.

Social freedoms are more important to me than any thing else. No one should ever dictate what I should love and hate or when its OK for me to speak up and I should always trust that my rights are protected by law. But unfortunatly, the social freedoms of Europe are shrinkring. Unfortunally thanks to Americans ideas on freedom, where people can get imprisoned without trial for years like on Guantanamo. Our idiotical politicians look at the American modell. When its quite obvious that most Americans today are getting tired of the american way as it has been for the last 8 years.

One of the reasons I like to write blogs (and I actually write several more blogs than this one, but those are in Swedish) is the anonymity. Its not like Im up to no good, its simply that if I had my name and picture on my blog I not only could, but I most surely would recieve nasty threats from people who thinks different from me. Ive seen it happen to people I know. Geology is seldom a topic of discussion wich makes people angry, but when discussing politics and religion people have strong opinions. One is forced to think twice about everything that one publish. And even then, theres always the idiots you can never forsee.

Sweden and Europe is presently being dragged in to a political trend thats similar to the one america experienced after 9/11. Civil liberties are reduced in the ridiculus name of "freedom". A couple of days ago the Swedish parliament voted for a law that gives a govermental beurau called FRA (Försvarets Radioanstalt) the right AND duty to monitor ALL communication and radio/internet/telephone traffic that crosses Swedish borders in the hunt of terrorists. Meaning that when I send an email to a friend in the USA, our Swedish goverment has the rights to read that mail. Its quite absurd really. From one of the freest countries in the world, Sweden is reduced to yet another totalitarian fucked up fascist state that has USAs ridiculus view on freedom in combination with an East German Cold War monitoring system of the citizens. Hello China. Hello Noth Korea.

Thats not all, and this latest thing is what really pisses me off. Now theres a member of the parliament of the European Union that wants to impose a law DEMANDING all bloggers in the EU to be non-anonymous. That is, no more blogs if you dont post your name on it. Of course I doubt that this fascist rule will go through in practise, but if it does, I doubt that anyone will follow it. And good luck taking it to court EU, you will loose badly if you try to enforce the law on its citizens because this must break several international laws on humans rights as far as I know. 

The cowardly countrymen of my home Sweden might not do anything, but I doubt that the inventors of modern liberal freedoms, the French (liberal thoughts is not an american invention), will stand by if this ever becomes a law.

Hello second French revolution - Im in.

Oh, I almost forgot. The person behind the manifest from EU about more control over the bloggers is this person. Her name is Marianne Mikko and shes from Estonia. Screw you Marianne.

Happy midsummer everyone!

Say what? Well, in Sweden we celebrate a holiday called Midsummer - and its probably the most celebrated holiday here - larger than Christmas in popularity almost. It roughly co-exist with the summer solstice - but is not exactly a celebration of just the solstice. The roots of this celebration is pagan and connected to farming and fertility. Pre-christian traditions here in the north of Europe. However, the traditions we celebrate today have very little to do with farming. Today we just simply celebrate for the sake of celebration and tradition.

Its fun. Its quite non-religious and most people in Sweden join in the celebration in one way or the other. 

What do we do? Well many people try going to the countryside and joind family and friends for a feast. We eat a lot of traditional Swedish food (things like pickled herring for example) and we also decorate a Maypole. (Pictures above - A symbole of fertility, I guess its some kind of phallic symbol, but today most Maypoles look more like a christian cross for some strange reason). Some people wear traditional clothes even and dance traditional dances, often around the maypole. Some people still also light a big bondfire since the Maypole is more of a northern Swedish tradition and the fire is more of a southern. Or at least it used to be like that. Nowdays the tradition of bondfires (St Hans fire) is almost dead even here in the south.

Then people dance and get drunk all evening and night basically. Its probably easily the most drunken day of the year in Sweden. If you ever want to see something very uniquely and truly Swedish - this is it.

Basically its a crazy pagan celebration of food and love (well a lot of drunk people fighting also).

An eggshaped meteorite was recently found in Sweden (in the small village of Kitkiöjärvi in the very north of Sweden) Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet reports (via SR.se).

The largest found in Sweden to date and one of the largest found in Europe. Weighing 1185 kilos, around 2600 pounds. The two men finding it hopes that the Swedish museum of national history will buy the meteorite from them, since they "would prefer it to stay in Sweden".

Just my smart ass opinion, but if they prefer that and actually really care, why not just give it to the museum for free. I guess since its valued to about 6 million Swedish crowns (about 1 million US-dollars), money of course talks more than anything else.

Update: Via the Swedish blog Populär Astronomi I now read that these types of iron-meteorites are common in this area (although not this size of course). Theres a theory going on about a 100 000 year old Tunguska-like event. More on that here. (In english)

Somebody asked me in my last post to describe the job situation for geologists. I can only speak for Sweden, and not very much on that either really. The main reason for not knowing exactly is the simple fact that Im new at geology. Ill know a lot more in 2 years time when Im "finished" with the studies.

But I can share my experiences thus far. According to many news paper reports, and some on the news on TV, theres a great shortage of geologists in Sweden. Something like only 50% of the demand is filled with new students. This has been the case since about 2005 when the boom started. Companies are forced to import educated workforce. Some 28 different nationalites are represented among the experts at the big mines of Kirunavaara and Luossavaara in the north of Sweden. They have big troubles with finding Swedish geologists (petrologists, mineralogists).

One of the teachers spoke also about how companies often contacted her and wanted to get in contact with soon-to-be-finished students of different academical levels - basically grabbing them when they still are at the the univ. Many teachers also speak how private companies try to employ the teachers all the time, and I dont think thats an exaggeration. All over the bill boards there hang offers of employment in the private sector.

The biggest sector demanding new geologists def. is the mining industry. As some probably know, Sweden has one of the most impressive mines of iron ore in the world in the north. The Kirunavaara mine has one of the finest and largest ore deposits in the world. And an increased demand for steel from countries like India and China has made this old mine very interesting for prospectors. And then theres copper, uranium and many more types of minerals on high demand also. All of them found in interesting numbers in Sweden. Even new gold and silver mines have started up in the last years.

At the same time theres an increased demand for geologists specializing in enviromental issues. Cant build anything these days without the right enviromental knowledge.

And Ive also heard that the Norwegian oil and gas-industry is looking for experts. The increased price in oil comes and the shrinking supply of it in the world with the good aspect that more jobs in the petroleumindustry are created when more and more sources of oil will be needed.

Basically - Geology in Sweden, at least if you are ready to move around to where the jobs are - means really good job opportunities as far as I know. And this seems to be the case for many years to come.

You can choose the dark side and work with oil or minerals, or the good side and work with the enviroment. Sith or Jedi. You choose.

I’m certainly no expert in English, and the following text probably breaks a dozen or more rules of the English language, but I do know something about my own Swedish language that many of my Swedish geology professors obviously don’t.

I’ve noticed something about people within the natural sciences that I didn’t know before. Something that makes them a little bit less intellectually impressive than what I perhaps gave them credit of before going for geology myself.

The professors and scientists are, in general, quite nonproficient with (or is that "on" or "of" ) the rules of Swedish grammar.

 I mean, it’s one thing not being a master of foreign languages, another not knowing the basic rules of one’s own language as an professor. One should think that all those years of studies and scholarly work in combination with the famous higher IQ of natural scientists (compared to scientists of the social and humanities who in general don’t make mistakes with simple grammar) should count for something. But sadly, it doesn’t

One reoccurring error, that I think not one of the professors have failed to breake, is the Swedish grammatical rule of “särskrivning” (the rule against the separation of words).

In Swedish we can combine words to make a new word. The most classical example of them all is the Swedish word for nurse: “sjuksköterska”. The word “sjuksköterska” is a combination of two words: “sjuk” (sick) and “sköterska” (nurse).  I.e. a “sjuksköterska” is “a nurse of the sick”.

The problem is it means something completely different when you separate the two words in Swedish. A “sjuk sköterska” means “a sick nurse” while a “sjuksköterska” means “a nurse of the sick”. There are several more fun examples like “rökfritt” (no smoking) ->”rök fritt” (smoke freely). I think you get the picture and that it could create lots of confusion if used wrong in some contexts. It of course doesn’t always lead to great misunderstandings like the ones I’ve just mentioned, but it always looks bad.

The reason that people have a problem of not knowing when two words should be written together or separated is the increased use of English in the Swedish society (since you in general do not write words together in the same extent). Especially in the natural sciences the use of English has started to dominate completely in the last 10 years. Many people think that all science should be written in English, and they probably got a point since that increases the size of the potential group of readers internationally. But must this come with a decreased knowledge of the own language as a result? (Don’t get me wrong, I really like the English language, but I don’t want to replace the Swedish language with it.)

The rule of “särskrivning” in the Swedish language is taught to kids from a young age, so they (the professors with all their scholarly record) really should know this without having to think twice even. It’s not a difficult rule for anyone brought up with it. Everyone can make a mistake, but when you see the error repeated over and over again in different contexts of the officially written material of the professors, which they should have given some time to write probably and adjust, you know that there is something wrong in general.

As I said, this is something I never saw with my professors of archaeology and history. In a competition of IQs, they would probably lose against my geology professors, but in a competition of writing texts without simple childish grammatical errors in Swedish (and in English) they would easily win.

And I’m sorry for being so stuck up with this, but I have some big issues with taking people seriously if they cannot even use their own language properly. It affects my view on their general competence. Can I really take someone seriously as an expert if they cannot handle their own language? No I personaly cannot. I guess that eight years of studies within the humanities, where teachers don’t make these errors makes me spoiled perhaps. It’s basically the combination of "professor and expert" and not knowing preschool grammar that I cannot accept.