Observation is a core skill of science. When you are out in the field (e.g. bar, food store, restaurant, movie theater) and you see or meet another scientist, how can you identify a geologist? Here are some tips:

- Look for a belt buckle, pendant, or bola tie clip with inlaid stones (not gems).
- They tell you their kid’s names and they are all like Beryl, Jade, Rocky, or Jewel.
- They make jokes using the words ‘gneiss’ or ‘cleavage.’
- You see them examining the salt in a salt shaker.
- They mention that their web site has pictures of some rock specimen.
- They talk about vacations in U.S. states like Utah and Arizona to visit formations.
- They touch and feel the exterior walls of stone buildings.
- They admit to having seen the movie Armageddon more than once.
- You say “I walked on the beach.” and they ask “What kind of sand: Fine, medium, or coarse?”
- They show you a ‘pet rock’ they have in their pocket (or worse, they fondle one absentmindedly).
- They are wearing markedly scuffed and dusty street shoes.