kaberett on geology....

[conuly]

Here is the story about that icon: it is a lump of malachite on display in the Natural History Museum, London, in the minerals gallery, where it has clearly been for decades, having been collected by a (presumably) Victorian geologist who went "hurr hurr hurr it's a dick". And then put on display by a bunch of curators who were evenly split between "hurr hurr hurr it's a dick, better not mention in case someone decides it's Inappropriate" and "... oh goodness do you suppose anyone else has not-- no I can't POSSIBLY say anything!"

Context has quite an interesting icon.

Comments

[frith]

Here's a larger picture of the rock specimen in question, and here's the same rock from a different angle.

Update: as luck would have it, conuly treats us to a link wherein a discussion revolves around the toxicity of using malachite as a dildo. It boils down to the copper ions released by the malachite would conceivably kill 99% of the microbial flora of the vagina, putting the user at risk of a yeast infection.

The more you know. *Rainbow*

[jecook]

Yeah, that entire thread is a gold mine of comedy. (which is *still* more useful that the cheeto in chief.)

[kittydesade]

... that was surprisingly NOT the dick-shaped malachite I was expecting.

[siderea]

INORITE?

[rydra_wong]

DITTO.

[kaberett]

I had this as an icon before That Tumblr Post happened

do you know how many people independently sent me the link

[kittydesade]

I'm going to go ahead and guess all of them.

[kaberett]

AND REQUESTED VERIFICATION.

[kittydesade]

I can believe it. I just had to tell the braintwin and she too was amazed if probably not surprised that there were two infamous dick-shaped malachites.

[lizbetann]

All I'm hearing is "for anal use only".

[kiffie]

All I'm getting from all of this is that humans love to see dongles in damn near everything.

We're truly an amazing species. :V

[lea_hazel]

To clarify, is it nature which shaped this malachite into dick-likeness, or is it actually a really exotic prehistoric dildo? Because knowing the perversity of both nature and humans, either is plausible.

[frith]

It is nature. Malachite is a carbonate (like limestone is a carbonate) and is formed via the weathering of copper ores. The dissolved copper carbonate precipitates out in layers, making the green banded patterns that gives malachite it's beauty. Some malachite structures are stalactites, thus the penile shape.

[lea_hazel]

Thanks.