/sci/ - Science & Math

Finally, a way to get black kids interested in science.

was already a thread about this:
http://archive.gentoomen.org/cgi-board.pl/sci/thread/3638498

>>3685472
Finally, a reason for DeBeers to invest in space.

>>3685489
I can see it now. 4000 ly away?

>interstellar FTL flight announced tomorrow, thanks to DeBeers
>people rejoice and spread about the galaxy
>humanity prospers
>4000 years from now, astronomers on Earth notice that the diamond planet disappeared

>>3685489
Why would they do that when they already have an enormous stockpile of diamonds that they'll never sell?

>>3685507
Because someone else might get to planet diamond and sell it.

In our own backyards:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_mining
>At 1997 prices, a relatively small metallic asteroid with a diameter of 1 mile contains more than $20 trillion US dollars worth of industrial and precious metals.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_Earth_Objects#Near-Earth_asteroids
>As of May 2010, 7,075 near-Earth asteroids are known,[14] ranging in size up to ~32 kilometers (1036 Ganymed).[16] The number of near-Earth asteroids over one kilometer in diameter is estimated to be 500 - 1,000.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%286178%29_1986_DA
>Asteroid 1986 DA achieved its most notable recognition when scientists revealed that it contained over "10,000 tons of gold and 100,000 tons of platinum", or an approximate value at the time of its discovery of "$90 billion for the gold and a cool trillion dollars for the platinum, plus loose change for the asteroid's 10 billion tons of iron and a billion tons of nickel."[3]

>>3685528
It's a shame that as soon as we began mining, gold and platinum would depreciate immensely.

>>3685537
Just a question, do you think Aluminium is really useful in modern society?

>>3685543

I haven't read this thread, just saw your post on the front page.

I remember an anon on /b/ several months back (inb4 ridicule). He claimed to have been working on a fuel cell that harnessed the thermite reaction that goes on between iron and aluminum. He didn't say this outright, it took a lot of prying before he said this. Amongst other things he claimed he had been working in secret and planned on releasing the technology to the public through lots of internet sites at once once he completed it.

Regardless of whether or not it's true, if one could build such a fuel cell, would it increase the value of aluminum on the market?

>>3685543
Yes we need it for our Macbooks.

>>3685576
I would say that if it were to increase demand a lot, it would increase the price.

>>3685581
Well anyway my point was for much of human history Aluminium has been incredibly scarce and expensive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium#History

>Aluminium was selected as the material to be used for the 100 ounce (2.8 kg) capstone of the Washington Monument in 1884, a time when one ounce (30 grams) cost the daily wage of a common worker on the project;[51] The capstone, which was set in place on December 6, 1884, in an elaborate dedication ceremony, was the largest single piece of aluminium cast at the time, when aluminium was as expensive as silver.[52]

Since aluminium has become abundant countless processes in manufacturing and so on have used large quantities of it, only improving the standard of living and creating more options for affordable, profitable inventions that perhaps might not be able to run or achieve that much market penetration if they had been drastically higher in price.

Gold and platinum, along with other rare earth metals are also widely used in semiconductors and many other modern electronics, which would greatly benefit with a drop in price if such metals were to become ubiquitous and plentiful. Fuck people outfitted with 'bling' or the people that cling onto the BUY GOLD hype. If they don't start selling the second an asteroid mining venture looks like it will really happen, then it is a case of survival of the fittest. Some people lose their wealth and the entire world gains more than they could've had.