Short Wave The Secrets Everyday Rocks Keep
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Nov 4, 2025 Geologist Anjana Khatwa, author of The Whispers of Rocks, unpacks the profound impact geology has on our civilization. She explains how tectonic events shaped Manhattan’s iconic skyline and connects rocks to cultural narratives, including indigenous stories. Khatwa warns against viewing rocks as infinite resources, highlighting their roles in issues like climate change and social demographics. From the secrets of zircon dating to the geological history that influenced voter trends in the Southern U.S., she reveals how Earth's past informs our future.
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Why NYC Skyscrapers Cluster
- Manhattan's clustered skyscrapers reflect underlying 500-million-year-old geology.
- Anjana Khatwa links these clusters to hard bedrock called Manhattan Schist that supports tall buildings.
Cherokee Buzzard Origin Story
- Khatwa shares a Cherokee story where a great buzzard's wingbeats shaped mountains and valleys.
- The tale links indigenous knowledge to geological explanations about landscape formation.
A Pebble From Iona Illustrates Deep Time
- Khatwa describes holding a rounded pebble of Lewisian gneiss from Iona, Scotland with pink and white quartz and feldspar bands.
- She uses it to illustrate metamorphic processes and the presence of zircons that record ancient formation.
