Minerals & Geology with Alex Ruff

About this episode

Alex Ruff discusses minerals and geology, sharing insights from his expertise at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

Scientists can be found everywhere in the museum. Alex Ruff may seem like a mild-mannered Building Manger here at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, but he is actually an expert in minerals and geology...with the credentials to boot. Enjoy this deeply fascinating conversation about our exquisite minerals, geology in general, and even a bit more about our illustrious Alma Queen! I guess you could say this conversation...rocks. Show notes: Yes, Manganese Carbonate is the mineral of which Rhodochrosite is made and its purity dictates how "red" it appears. For more information about the Houston Museum of Natural Science, visit https://www.hmns.org/

People in this episode

Guest: Alex Ruff

Topics covered

• minerals
• geology
• science
• museum
• education

Keywords

• minerals
• geology
• Rhodochrosite
• Manganese Carbonate
• Houston Museum of Natural Science

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Houston Museum of Natural Science

Products: Rhodochrosite, Manganese Carbonate

More episodes of HMNS Beyond Bones Podcast

• Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation · May 19, 2026 · 22 min
• "Biff" (Nathaniel Hackmann) from the smash-hit at TUTS, "Back to the Future: The Musical"! · March 30, 2026 · 54 min
• "Mom, could you fix this victim for an open-casket?" · March 16, 2026 · 22 min
• Radioactive Fossils · February 9, 2026 · 39 min
• Terracotta Warriors · November 1, 2025 · 38 min
• The Science & History of Bourbon · September 15, 2025 · 54 min