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. By the way, StumbleUpon can recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.
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Filed Under: candle, diamond, nanoparticles, refraction, uv laser


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  1. identicon
    Lawrence D'Oliveiro, 30 Aug 2011 @ 6:47pm

    I Understand They’re No Good For Cutting Iron or Steel, Too

    Not because the metal is harder than the diamond, but for another reason.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    dev, 30 Aug 2011 @ 6:49pm

    congo

    "they couldn't make a diamond-based UV laser that lasted for more than 10 minutes"

    So the movie congo isn't factually accurate?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    abc gum, 30 Aug 2011 @ 7:11pm

    Re: congo

    Hollywood is well known for their lack of reality ... in their movies too.

    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?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. icon
    btr1701 (profile), 30 Aug 2011 @ 8:37pm

    Diamond Planet

    Can't believe this didn't make it into the article:

    Astronomers Discover Planet Made of Diamond

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/25/us-planet-diamond-idUSTRE77O69A20110825

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 31 Aug 2011 @ 6:02am

    Re: I Understand They’re No Good For Cutting Iron or Steel, Too

    Well, diamonds are very fragile? They ARE crystals, after all, so any blunt force will turn them to dust.

    Just one hammer, and then so much diamond dust!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. icon
    MonkeyFracasJr (profile), 31 Aug 2011 @ 7:31am

    Diamonds burn

    They're nearly pure carbon after all.

    http://www.chemicool.com/elements/carbon.html

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    MAC, 31 Aug 2011 @ 10:39am

    Diamonds are forever?

    I guess that big diamod planet that they just discovered will be eaten away by the pulsar...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    MAC, 31 Aug 2011 @ 10:40am

    Re: congo

    If it was a UV laser...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. icon
    Michael Ho (profile), 31 Aug 2011 @ 12:15pm

    Re: Diamond Planet

    I almost put that story in...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    6, 31 Aug 2011 @ 3:10pm

    " But there are possibly other forms of carbon that could be more sparkly -- if only they could be synthesized."

    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?

    link to this | view in thread ]


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