Brian, I was joking about the hiding beer bottles (maybe next year), but the Easter on Narragansett Pier granite was real, and had no alcohol, at least not that early, and not by by young daughter at the time, and she is now 23 and does not drink. Alcohol not required, but an ability to go on Friends of the Pleistocene (F.O.P.) field trips, camping in the desert and sing all night in front of a fire, and be able to talk about geology at the same time, could be a test. For some who sing really poorly, alcohol can help: getting those people to sing drives away the coyotes.

OK, I've only been on 3 of those field trips and none were in the desert, but I'm due. Brian, no reason you could not go: the cost is minimal: in 1990 (for Diablo Canyon nuclear plant-related geology, was about $35, and that included the camping fees and large field trip guidebook. No one makes any money off these trips. Just Google it. And then report back.

Education, like math, is over-rated; I should know, I have a Ph.D. and took 7 college math classes plus 1 remedial class. I'd say Brian, from his posts, is a pretty good earth scientist.

I think I'll have drink to science-interested amateurs who help keep the flat earthers at bay.

Chris