MYSTERY OBJECTS

[Tizer]

What can you tell me about this object...

[Steeplejerk]

Cross section of a tree branch but I know that's going to be wrong

[Stanley]

Not necessarily Tom. Could it be fossilised wood?

[Tizer]

Tom, you're right with `Cross section of a tree' although it's more likely from the trunk of a small tree. It's not a fossil Stanley although it's very old. There's more to tell - it has an interesting history. Look closely at the photo.

[Cathy]

It looks like it has speckles

[Tizer]

Well spotted Cathy. Now, what are the speckles and how do they come to be in the wood?

[Tizer]

Wot, no guesses? Come on, try your luck...

[Cathy]

I’ve been googling… are the speckles a disease or spider poop?

[Tizer]

No, they're not animal or vegetable matter, Cathy.

[Cathy]

Salt Crystals

[Tizer]

You're on the right track, Cathy. The specks are not salt. They look white in the photo but that's not their colour, it's reflection because they're shiny. I'm going offline for lunch now but I'll look in again later!

[Cathy]

And I’m off to bed
Mould

[Big Kev]

Is it gold? Could the tree have grown over a gold deposit?

[Tizer]

It's not gold and not related to where the tree grew.

[Cathy]

Sand or a metal , maybe Uranium?

[Stanley]

Has the tree been absorbing contamination?

[Tizer]

Cathy, you're spot on with metal but it's not uranium, much more common that - there'll be a lot of this metal in your house!
Stanley, you're correct with `absorbing contamination' - but not with `tree'. The metal wasn't there when the wood was a tree.

[Cathy]

I’ve been googling again… Could the speckles come from iron old nails, fence wire?

[Tizer]

Cathy, I guess you're thinking of wood posts used for making fences. That's getting you very close but the wood wasn't used for fencing. It's use was for something in the past and the speckles are not iron but a different common metal. Think about where wood posts were used in the past.

[Gloria]

To do with ship building, or coal mining props?

[Tizer]

Well done, Gloria. It's a section of a very old timber mine prop but not from a coal mine. Think of other materials mined and of the shiny specks. We've already eliminated gold, iron, uranium, salt (and Cathy's spider poop ) I'll be back tomorrow morning to see your progress!

[Wendyf]

Is it tin?

[Gloria]

I’m with Wendy……tin

[Cathy]

Tin sounds promising, or copper.

[Stanley]

Given Peter's location and interests its almost certain that Wendy has got it right with tin.