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Harder-Than-Diamond Natural Carbon Crystals Found
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."
I think it's clear that space-diamonds will have capabilities far outstripping any of our mundane terrestrial diamonds.
And I, for one, welcome our new shiny super tough, space born overlords
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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."
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
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.
All rites reversed 2010
Now it goes all the way to 11.
Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
RPGers around the world had known this for years: a meteorite sword is better than a diamond sword.
And much more expensive too... are you listening, De Beers Intergalactic?
Diamond isn't a metal.
Deze sig is in 't Nederlands geschreven.
As is magic, only rarer.
"Good news, everyone!"
Your rich and vivid imagination is going to get your ass kicked.
Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
So now meteorites are a girl's best friend? That's going to complicate some relationships
If he's the Walrus then can I be a penguin please?
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!
I doubt it, they've not found enough space children caught up in intergalactic warfare to exploit yet.
Since there is no such thing harder than diamonds on earth, and we cannot create anything harder, then it must have been aliens who sent us the meteorite with a substance so hard that it would...
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.
I move that we start referring to these super hard diamonds as Viagronds.
Especially when the lad searching for the meteorite to give to his love, finds that it is not a rock but a girl.
And I, for one, welcome our new shiny super tough, space born overlords
Not without DeBeers permission, you don't!
Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure everything I just said is completely wrong.