iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Weimarer Republik vibes in Germany are getting stronger by the day. If they should reintroduce the Reichsmark: I am prepared... Found these while tidying up some old boxes. They are from the years 1920 to 1923, marking years of extreme #inflation. Bills from 1923 were worth 20,000 Mark. #History

Old German Reichsmark bills from the 1920s.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Bounty from our garden. Currently baking a fig-and-plum pie and the cherry tomatoes will make an excellent salad later 😊. #ChemistsWhoCook #gardening

A bowl of cherry tomatoes and six figs in another bowl

Unbaked plum pie and slices of figs in a board next to the pie. The figs will be put on the pie after half of the baking time to decorate it.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Heute helfe ich beim Maus Türöffner-Tag in der Warpzone Münster e.V. mit. Wir löten kleine Bausätze mit Kindern zwischen 5-10 Jahren. #SendungMitDerMaus #WissKomm #SciCom

Der kleine blaue Elefant von Sendung mit der Maus mit einer grünen LED im Rüssel

Das Poster von Türen auf mit der Maus hat einen gelben Hintergrund. Darauf sind der Elefant und die Maus abgebildet. Der Elefant überreicht der Maus einen Blumentopf mit einer kleinen Blume und die Maus freut sich.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Diamonds are a girl's best friend. But if you cannot afford diamonds, #quartz will do nicely, but #graphit won't. Vote #quartz! 📸 MAURO CATEB from Brazil

Smoky quartz which has been cut and polished

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Sometimes, you need something good fast. This came together in less than 15 minutes: Tortellini with a bell pepper-cream sauce and parmegiano and a nice greek salad. #ChemistsWhoCook

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Our neighbours car is glaring angrily at our street... It caught me by surprise when I saw it for the first time, but now I think it looks quite funny (without the flash you only see the eyes at night, not the car 😁).

A small Twizzy car with red and white LED lights that look like moving eyes

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Made a huge batch of penne al forno with egg plant, cherry tomatoes, and fresh bell pepper from the garden 🤤. #ChemistsWhoCook

A white,oval ceramic pan filled with penne al forno

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

This is granite. You may know it from your kitchen counter. Without #Quartz, granite wouldn't exist. Vote #Quartz! #MinCup26

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

This is undyed #Quartz. No need to artficially enhance it, it's already great 🥰. Vote Quartz! #MinCup26 📸Large Quartz sample from collection at Besucherbergwerk Kleinenbremen

Many small, tumbled pieces of differently colored Quartz

Big, yellowish and almost clear Quartz crystal. The sheet of paper below is DIN A5, for scale.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Agate is microcrystalline #Quartz. Normally, it can be grey, brown or reddish. The colors you see below look nice at a first glance, but these specimens are dyed. #MinCup26

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I live in a walkable neighbourhood in a small village next to Münster/Germany. This is how I transport my groceries: a foldable cart that formerly was also our main means of transport for our children. It's fast, cheap, and easy and does not emit CO2. 🥰 #ClimateChange #CO2

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Recently, we were at the Baltic Sea and there you can find plenty of agate nodules. Agate is microcrystalline SiO2, a very dense and hard material. Mostly, it's dull grey, but it can look very striking if cut, and you can sometimes find small drusy quartz inclusions. #Quartz #MinCup26

Another piece of agate with a small spot of drusy quartz. It's less than 1 cm in diameter, so my phone camera made a poor job capturing the details.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

This is clear Rosy Quartz. Here, the color is caused by the coupled insertion of aluminum and phosphorous into the Quartz structure and subsequent radiation from radioactive potassium (K40) isotopes. #MinCup26 📸Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Clear, rosy Quartz with idiomorphic crystals

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

This is Rose Quartz. It gets its color from microscopic inclusions of Dumortierite, which is rosy because of its iron and titanium content. It is very common, but there is another rosy variation of quartz that is much less common and also receives its color in another way: #MinCup26

This is Rose Quartz. The crystals are rosy, but not really clear, but mainly only translucent.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

I decided to be a #Quartz Fan Account this year. Huge crystals, so many colors and so many useful applications 🥰 #MinCup26

A large clear Quartz crystal found in the collection of the Institute of Mineralogy in Münster.

Violet amethyst and small white, idiomorphic Quartz crystal.

Two rosy, idiomorphic Quartz crystals I found in the Sauerland region in Germany.

A large, slightly yellowish Quartz crystal found in the collection of the Institute of Mineralogy in Münster

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

📢 New paper alert: doi.org/10.1016/j.ja... We investigated the relationship between structure and ionic/electronic conductivity of cerates and zirconates with the general formula A2B2O7 containing Pr as an (additional) redox-active species. @fz-juelich.de @dfg.de @uni-muenster.de 🧪🔋🔬👩‍🔬

A blue arrow with showing a change in crystal structure from fluorite to pyrochlore and with the four different investigated samples positioned at different points on this arrow. Additional tags indicate that Pr2Ce2O7 as the material with a pure fluorite structure shows the highest electronic conductivity while Pr2Zr2O7 as the ordered pyrochlore endmember shows the highest proton transference number at temperatures below 500 °C.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#Calcite #MinCup26 ⚒️ 📸 My own at collection of Institute of Mineralogy at @uni-muenster.de

Large clear calcite crystals on a brown substrate

Very large, clear single calcite crystal on a brown substrate

Brownish, intransparent, cubic calcite crystal on a brown substrate

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Today, #MinCup26 R1M9 sees #Putnisite and #Hafnon competing. Although Hafnon as the only Hafnium mineral is impressive, I will be rooting for #Putnisite and the reason is very personal: 🧵1/4 ⚒️👩‍🔬🔬🧪 📸 Hank Smeets www.tomeikminerals.com/about-me/

Two shiny violet cubic crystals on a green, yellow and white matrix.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

#Quartz is still behind #Asagiite! After ten years and with all these beautiful colors it deserves at least the quarter finals! Vote #quartz! #MinCup26 👩‍🔬🧪⚒️

Tweezers for scale. Polished quartz samples are arranged in a line with white and clear samples at one end, violet, yellow, and red in the middle and brown and grey ones at the other end.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

These shiny green Aventurin gemstones are again mainly made of #quartz, one of the most common minerals on the Earth's surface. The green color comes from small Fuchsite impurities, a Cr-containing, green variety of #mica. #MinCup26 ⚒️

Green and glittering minerals on a wooden board

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

These lovely brown, shimmering gemstones are #quartz. This variety is called Tiger's Eye 🐯. The cat's eye effect or chatoyancy comes from parallel intergrowth of quartz and limonite, which developed from amphibole impurities. Tiger's Eye can mainly be found in metamorphic rocks. #MinCup26 ⚒️

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Today's #MinCupmatch is red #Erythrite vs. silvery #Skutterudite. Both are firmly on the "Do Not Lick List" as they contain cobalt and arsenic. I vote for Erythrite because I like the old German name "Kobaltblüte" (Flower of Cobalt). Here are again both in one image 😃 📸 Rob Lavinsky, CC-BY-SA-3.0

Red, thon and long crystals topped by silvery blobs

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

This are both of today's #MinCup26 contenders in one image: #Smithsonite, the white mineral at the bottom, and blue #Azurite at the top. The green mineral in between is #Malachite, which develops from #Azurite since it's unstable in air. I'll vote color! 🟦 📸 Robert Lavinsky, CC BY-SA 3.0

A chunk of rock which is yellowish-white at the bottom, dark green in the middle, and dark blue on top.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Hiking at Devil's Gorge (Teufelsschlucht) near Irrel at the border to Luxembourg. There are gorgeous sandstone formations and very nice examples of honeycomb weathering. ⚒️

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

This beautiful gem stone called amethyst is simple #quartz, but with a twist: the violet color comes from Fe4+ in coordination with oxygen, so-called [FeO4]-centers. Usually, violet color in minerals is associated with cobalt impurities. 1/2 ⚒️🔬👩‍🔬🧪 #MinCup

A pile of violet and white striped tumbled minerals in a wooden box.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Highly recommended, if you are around: In Lütjenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, there is a lovely reconstruction of a medieval motte-and-bailey castle and typical surrounding buildings. www.turmhuegelburg.de/home.h This could be something for you, @fakehistoryhunter.net

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

This is pyrite or fools gold. Unfortunatelly, it's not gold, but iron sulfide (FeS2). If you want to know more about minerals: Mineral Cup 2026 #MinCup is about to start on Sep, 1st. You can find more information here @mineralcup.bsky.social and on the homepage www.mineralcup.org. ⚒️🔬👩‍🔬🧪

Pieces of golden rock with small cubic facets.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I love garnets and just found a beautiful sample 🤩! We are currently at the Ice Age Museum in Lütjenburg. It's a small Museum, but they have some very nice fossils and rock samples, and I also found a helpful guide for my kids to sort their rock collections from the beach. ⚒️

Large reddish-brown garnet crystals in a silvery schist matrix.

Cover of the book "Steine am Ostseestrand" by Rolf Reinicke.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

My daughter accidentally cracked open a rock at the beach and revealed a nice piece of agate and chipped off a really sharp piece 🤩. ⚒️

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Found some really nice feldspars in a random boulder at the beach (finger for scale). ⚒️

Large, slightly pink feldspars in a granite matrix.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

All gems in the image below are quartz (silicon dioxide, SiO2). It's one of the most common minerals on the Earth's surface. The different colors are due to minor inhomogeneities. If you want to learn more about #minerals: #MinCup 2026 will start on Sep, 1st. www.mineralcup.org ⚒️👩‍🔬🧪🔬 #geology

Different kinds of gem quality quartz in white, rose, orange and violet.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

It's 8:30 PM. It's 27°C. You could think this somewhere at the Mediterranean Sea, but actually this is Lübecker Bucht (Baltic Sea) 🏖️. #Climate #Heat #GlobalWarming

A beach with people bathing while the Sky is already getting dark.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Watching eclipse without hurting my eyes holiday edition be like #Eclipse

A box which formerly held beer cans with a hole, a piece of foil wrapped over it and a cell phone fixed on it with plaster strips

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

The view from our holiday apartment is very calming 🙂

A lake with small boats seen from a balkony.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Second day of vacation: the kids and I made a little bike tour and ended up in the Gartencafé in Altenberge, a small cafe in a former tree nursery. It's only open at the weekends, but I love it because of the very good tartes and cakes and the relaxed atmosphere in the garden. Highly recommended.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Our vacation has started. My daughter just served me coffee and ice cream because she is playing ice cream parlour in our kitchen 🥰

A cup of coffee and a small Bowl with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

This is amber. It looks like a rock, but does not count as one. If you would like to learn more about rocks and minerals: in four weeks, it's time again for this year's #Mineral Cup, where we search the mineral of the year 2026. Find out more: www.mineralcup.org #MinCup #MinCup26 #Minerals ⚒️

Amber necklaces, two large and several small pieces of amber.

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Kerstin Neuhaus @microtopico.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Only five weeks to go until September 1st, when #MinCup26 starts. And it is a special occassion: We can go ahead and set out the candles and the cake - #MinCup is turning 10 this year 🎂. For anyone who can hardly wait, here's our article covering the last nine times doi.org/10.1180/mgm....