PEOPLE love beaches. From the Blackpool strand to the curving sands of
Queensland’s Gold Coast and the black volcanic shores of the Hawaiian
islands, waves lapping on a beach are synonymous with fun and holidays.
Beaches figure large in this week’s issue. You’ll find out how to spot
gemstones on the Scottish coast and hear of the frustrations of searching for
fossils beside the sea in Sierra Leone
(see p 54).
Following that there’s an
experiment revealing the peculiar properties of sand. Those same strange
abilities have made dunes masters of self defence, with fascinating tactics for
seeing off…
