A scientist is using The Rock to explain rocks on Twitter. Quite frankly, it rocks.
According to her Twitter bio, McKinnon is a “field geophysicist, disaster researcher, scifi science consultant, science writer, [and] public speaker.” In a thread posted last week, McKinnon sought to use her geological knowledge to deduce what kind of rock Dwanye “The Rock” Johnson is, explaining basic geological concepts in the process.
McKinnon’s tweets have attracted thousands of likes, evidence that the public’s love for The Rock is an effective and entertaining way to spread knowledge about rocks. She begins her thread with a question that seems simple but, as you’ll see, is actually kind of complicated.
FAQ: Is @TheRock igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary?
A: It’d be rude to examine his texture, so consider his origin & path.
He’s evolved under immense pressure, dramatically changed yet never shattered, and doesn’t explode even when provoked.
Metamorphic. pic.twitter.com/sW4RKZ3JyV
— Mika McKinnon (@mikamckinnon) February 24, 2020
In the following tweets, McKinnon explains and elaborates on that conclusion in a way that’s truly delightful, thanks in no small part to the pitch-perfect GIFs McKinnon attached to each one. First up: why The Rock can’t be igneous or sedimentary.
Sedimentary rocks are made from the remains of other broken rocks cemented or compressed for form new rocks.
The Rock has a juvie record, got cut from his Big Break as a football star, repeatedly got boo’d (& injured) under multiple WWF names, and did not shatter. Somehow. pic.twitter.com/kgQ5VdnjPD
— Mika McKinnon (@mikamckinnon) February 24, 2020
But beyond explaining why he isn’t either of those types, McKinnon also takes the time to prove why he is metamorphic.
Metamorphic rocks are altered by immense temperature, pressure, or both. Their fabric and texture changes and can keep changing. Even their composition can alter, creating a radically new rock that’s somehow true to its origin.
They just get shinier & more distinctive. pic.twitter.com/OpgbMYFEcN
— Mika McKinnon (@mikamckinnon) February 24, 2020
And if you accept her reasoning, the natural next question to ask is what kind of metamorphic rock is The Rock: foliated or non-foliated? Foliation is a geologic word for the repetitive layering that is sometimes found in metamorphic rocks.
Note:
I’ve yet to observe The Rock under natural lighting, so it’s hard to distinguish if he’s just lightly foliated. He may possess slaty or phyllitic cleavage, aligned platey minerals too small to see yet enough to produce a distinctive shine.But that’d imply less pressure. pic.twitter.com/t7wQMOCTZg
— Mika McKinnon (@mikamckinnon) February 24, 2020
Reefs + pressure = marble
But The Rock consumes lemons without dissolving, so nah.Sand + pressure = quartzite
He’s Hard AF, but not nearly that commonSubducted talc = soapstone
But that’s extremely soft.And all are low pressure. Which doesn’t fit at all. pic.twitter.com/h9rJkiwEZe
— Mika McKinnon (@mikamckinnon) February 24, 2020
At this point, the thread veers into general scientific foundations before swerving back to a brand-new conclusion, as any scientist would when confronted with convincing conflicting evidence.
The Rock is a foliated rock with increasing metamorphic grade as he’s been under pressure for longer time.
He was low-grade slate as a footballer, a shiny phillite as a WWF star, transitioned to shist during his 2003 heritage tattooing, & is now gneiss.
How nice! pic.twitter.com/ve6b9u0S2I
— Mika McKinnon (@mikamckinnon) February 24, 2020
But which kind of foliated rock is he? McKinnon has a definitive answer.
So what type of rock is The Rock?
He’s a foliated metamorphic, transitioned to gneiss in 2017. He’ll likely continue to stay gneiss for the remainder of his career, potentially acquiring more banding.
Should he start getting hot-yet-squishy, he may transition to migmatite. pic.twitter.com/ov9IC1MLGZ
— Mika McKinnon (@mikamckinnon) February 24, 2020
A thread from a geophysicist using her impressive knowledge of the life and career of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to create an entertaining and educational thread? It’s all solid evidence that, much like the Rock himself, this thread is…gneiss.
