Harder-Than-Diamond Natural Carbon Crystals Found 250
HikingStick tips a piece from the science desk at MSNBC.com about a new, naturally occurring form of carbon found in a meteorite fragment. "Researchers were polishing a slice of the carbon-rich Havero meteorite that fell to Earth in Finland in 1971. When they then studied the polished surface they discovered carbon-loaded spots that were raised well above the rest of the surface — suggesting that these areas were harder than the diamonds used in the polishing paste... [G]raphite layers were shocked and heated enough to create bonds between the layers — which is exactly how humans manufacture diamonds... [The research] team took the next step and put the diamond-resistant crystals under the scrutiny of some very rigorous mineralogical analyzing instruments to learn how its atoms are lined up. That allowed them to confirm that they had, indeed, found a new 'phase' or polymorph of crystalline carbon as well as a type of diamond that had been predicted to exist decades ago, but had never been found in nature until now."
Re:One thing I don't get... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:One thing I don't get... (Score:4, Funny)
And I, for one, welcome our new shiny super tough, space born overlords
As the saying goes... (Score:5, Funny)
That allowed them to confirm that they had, indeed, found a new 'phase' or polymorph of crystalline carbon as well as a type of diamond that had been predicted to exist decades ago, but had never been found in nature until now.
"Polymorphs of crystalline carbon are forever."
The remnants of my empire (Score:4, Funny)
And so a remnance of my empire once vast and impenetrable falls from the sky. Damn you Flash Gordon. Eventually I will get off this rock.
Mohs Scale of Hardness (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Mohs Scale of Hardness (Score:5, Funny)
Old news... (Score:2, Funny)
RPGers around the world had known this for years: a meteorite sword is better than a diamond sword.
Re:One thing I don't get... (Score:2, Funny)
And much more expensive too... are you listening, De Beers Intergalactic?
Re:The remnants of my empire (Score:2, Funny)
"Eventually I will get off this rock."
Rule #34 comes to mind ...
Majorly confused now (Score:2, Funny)
Re:I don't know about you (Score:3, Funny)
As is magic, only rarer.
Re:Ohhh shinny! (Score:3, Funny)
Your rich and vivid imagination is going to get your ass kicked.
Re:One thing I don't get... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Mohs Scale of Hardness (Score:1, Funny)
The title of the linked comic is "Spinal Tap Amps".
Re:How long (Score:4, Funny)
How long til I can get me a ring of this shit?
Why do you call it shit? It comes from a meteorite, not from Uranus!
Re:One thing I don't get... (Score:5, Funny)
I doubt it, they've not found enough space children caught up in intergalactic warfare to exploit yet.
Re:Majorly confused now (Score:1, Funny)
Next you're going to tell us that dolphins don't lay eggs... -_-;;
Simple explination (Score:3, Funny)
1- Make it to us through space
2-have encoded within it their history
3- then to be lost when we started grinding away on the bloody thing.
-tom cruise.
Re:One thing I don't get... (Score:4, Funny)
I move that we start referring to these super hard diamonds as Viagronds.
Re:One thing I don't get... (Score:3, Funny)
Especially when the lad searching for the meteorite to give to his love, finds that it is not a rock but a girl.
Re:One thing I don't get... (Score:5, Funny)
And I, for one, welcome our new shiny super tough, space born overlords
Not without DeBeers permission, you don't!