Shale is not a good building material, it’s too friable (crumbly). Slate starts off as the same rock ans shale except it undergoes a bunch of heat and pressure which makes it much less friable and an excellent material for things like roofing tiles and mantles.

The Marriotts. Not huge fans of alcohol.

That’s what the three shells are for.

Calculations are simpler if …….. you assume a spherical cow!

What was ordered?

iNaturalist is definitely a good suggestion, but it is NOT an assassin bug, wrong markings and body form. It looks to be in the genus Alysus. Here’s what iNaturalist gave me as a likely hit. Also, I’d recommend the Seek app (it’s associated with iNaturalist) over iNaturalist app for casual users as it gives quick likely identifications through real-time image matching and does not require engaging the broader iNaturalist community.

Exactly! (By definition)

*Acid-filled Erlenmeyer flasks

Cool. Ingredients please.

It’s a fish bone, but not sure what species or part of the skeleton. I’ve seen many on beaches around the Gulf of Mexico.

It was based on good old fate and transport processes and plenty of scientific data (as opposed to made up hearsay?). It served us well for that sucky situation we were in. .

https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pha-guidance/conducting_scientific_evaluations/exposure_pathways/environmental_fate_and_transport.html

C/soil science is a great community with well laid out general soil science information. What a great resource!

I for one appreciate the effort someone(s) put into it.