“Fortunately, everyone can be told about The Matrix”
by adminA customer was purchasing some of our rocks and minerals this weekend. One of the rocks they wanted to purchased looked a bit strange so they asked about it. I answered as accurately as possible: “Oh, I see, there’s just some interesting contaminants in the matrix”.
It was several moments before she stopped giggling.
VERSUS
It should go without saying, at least in this blog, that I was not talking about the movie ‘The Matrix’ with lots of bullet dodging and the like. But rather I was using the geological term ‘matrix’ to mean a crystal medium in which other, larger crystals form. In other words, the stuff between the main material. It is essetially used to refer to a background material in which another interesting item is found, such as a diamond or in some cases a fossil.
Adding to the complication, its not just Hollywood that uses the term ‘Matrix’. It also refers to a mathematical problem solving table. In biology, matrix, refers to the material between the walls of cells. In chemistry it is the ‘other stuff’ in a sample being analyzed that is not the stuff being analyzed.
All of these terms, including the movie in a fashion, are essentially discussing the same thing: A background material on which certain, usually more important elements exist. Words are fun like that.
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Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.