DailyDirt: Contrary To Popular Belief, Diamonds Aren't Forever
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
There are plenty of good reasons why gold is a valuable element that has been used as money instead of other substances in nature. Diamonds might have been an interesting form of carbon to use in a monetary system, but diamonds don't actually last forever. Here are just a few quick links on diamonds.- Candle flames can create diamond particles very briefly, but the diamonds are burned away in the process. About 1.5 million diamond nanoparticles are created every second as a candle burns, actually. [url]
- Diamond is thermodynamically unstable, but it was only recently discovered that it can actually lose mass slowly under UV light. Physicists found this out when they couldn't make a diamond-based UV laser that lasted for more than 10 minutes... [url]
- Diamonds have a high index of refraction that makes them sparkle. But there are possibly other forms of carbon that could be more sparkly -- if only they could be synthesized. [url]
- To discover more interesting science-related stuff, check out what's currently floating around the StumbleUpon universe. [url]
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Filed Under: candle, diamond, nanoparticles, refraction, uv laser
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I Understand They’re No Good For Cutting Iron or Steel, Too
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Re: I Understand They’re No Good For Cutting Iron or Steel, Too
Just one hammer, and then so much diamond dust!
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congo
So the movie congo isn't factually accurate?
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Re: congo
Many websites discuss in great detail the egregious warping of physics to the point which boggles the mind. Who comes up with this crap?
I would pick Wanted as one of the worst. Curving bullets - omg.
What do you think is the worst?
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Re: congo
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Diamond Planet
Astronomers Discover Planet Made of Diamond
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/25/us-planet-diamond-idUSTRE77O69A20110825
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Re: Diamond Planet
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Diamonds burn
http://www.chemicool.com/elements/carbon.html
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Diamonds are forever?
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What's that you say? If only there was someone who would and could and did invent a method of synthesizing them? I don't suppose you'd be willing to reward someone who did such a thing with a document granting them exclusive use of that invention for oh, say, 20 years or so, would you?
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