eka-metals
- Thread starter Gadrin
- Start date
Icosahedron
SOC-14 1K
How about a pseudo-stable element that is non-radioactive until bombarded by neutrons, then undergoes a chain reaction, with disastrous results if there is a super-critical quantity present.
No, neutronium is not an element, it is often used to describe "degenerate matter". As usual, Wikipedia is your friend:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutronium
Room temperature superconductors. The elements have so many electron shells, the outer layers are barely held onto. The chemical properties would probably drive most chemists mad for the same reason.
If I remember my high school chemistry, the elements in each column in the periodic table have similar properties that get stronger or weaker row by row. So if you can place your eka-metals on the table you should be able to make a crude extrapolation as to its chemical properties and some physical properties too.
Thunderbolt
SOC-12
According to my understanding, and Wikipedia is a good place to get the gory details, the stability of the nucleus gets lower at higher atomic numbers, and the general relationship that the number of protons and neutrons being largely equal stops. So once you get past Plutonium (which does occur naturally to my surprise) things get interesting.
I remember hearing about so called "islands of stability" in super massive nuclei but these were way up there like 140 or something, so how on earth you could make the stuff in anything like real quantities I don't know, a few atoms maybe, but tons of it?
Neutronium is of course matter smashed down in a massive gravity crunch of a dead star, it only stays like that because gravity holds it there. I suspect if you released a teaspoon of it (100 million tons) in your living room, the consequences would likely be unfortunate.
I remember hearing about so called "islands of stability" in super massive nuclei but these were way up there like 140 or something, so how on earth you could make the stuff in anything like real quantities I don't know, a few atoms maybe, but tons of it?
Neutronium is of course matter smashed down in a massive gravity crunch of a dead star, it only stays like that because gravity holds it there. I suspect if you released a teaspoon of it (100 million tons) in your living room, the consequences would likely be unfortunate.
One possibility is to use the method Poul Anderson came up with for "Lodestar". You place a big planet close enough to a supernova to catch some of the eka-metals but not so close as to be completely vaporized (Don't ask me for details; Anderson usually gets his physics right, but I'm not going to guarantee it).
Another possibility is to 'cheat' by employing techniques unknown to 21st Century science (But known to Imperial scientists, or if not to them, then to the Ancients).
Hans
Just a thought....
The 'Island of Stability' is factual and has led to scientists to create (for amazingly short times) some of the Super-Heavy, Stable Elements...would have to track down citations.
The 'Island of Stability' is factual and has led to scientists to create (for amazingly short times) some of the Super-Heavy, Stable Elements...would have to track down citations.
Thunderbolt
SOC-12
With the absence of any obvious holes in the periodic table, let's not forget the astonishing properties of existing elements and chemical compounds when fashioned in artificial ways, carbon nanotubes, bucky balls, semiconductors etc.
Who knows what a humble metal can do when alloyed or structured in a completely novel fashion.
Who knows what a humble metal can do when alloyed or structured in a completely novel fashion.
Excuse me sir.
Really sir, it was not even looked at because I am old and remember an internet BBS that my friend may have got phished on possibly before you kids had to invent a new term for an already labeled thing,...(sorry my Vilani is showing, but we used to call it Scamming) anyway, back in the day we when we used scrolls as a friend would joke, we learned to check our Sources and more importantly to Cite only Reliable Sources. Say....MIT, UC-Berkley, JPL, CERN, ESA, NASA, etc. Wikipedia is not to be trusted, I mean, crap the public editing it is worse than the Secret Masters' messing with Information....yikes.
However, it is entertaining and if you do pay attention you just skim the entry and then move to the Real Source and Cite them. Basic research skills, well, back from books and trips to the library and other such things, oh and if possible use two sources minimum, and if only one, Cite Why.
It's what I did in my short, but vera productive year in the Capitol of Terra, trained to be a SuperHero and Save the World as a Member of Good Standing in League of Involuntary Paladins. *grins* Ah the Glori Days.
Really sir, it was not even looked at because I am old and remember an internet BBS that my friend may have got phished on possibly before you kids had to invent a new term for an already labeled thing,...(sorry my Vilani is showing, but we used to call it Scamming) anyway, back in the day we when we used scrolls as a friend would joke, we learned to check our Sources and more importantly to Cite only Reliable Sources. Say....MIT, UC-Berkley, JPL, CERN, ESA, NASA, etc. Wikipedia is not to be trusted, I mean, crap the public editing it is worse than the Secret Masters' messing with Information....yikes.
However, it is entertaining and if you do pay attention you just skim the entry and then move to the Real Source and Cite them. Basic research skills, well, back from books and trips to the library and other such things, oh and if possible use two sources minimum, and if only one, Cite Why.
It's what I did in my short, but vera productive year in the Capitol of Terra, trained to be a SuperHero and Save the World as a Member of Good Standing in League of Involuntary Paladins. *grins* Ah the Glori Days.
Thunderbolt
SOC-12
I've always found it to be useful starting point, and I suppose articles on the chemical properties of Xenon are less scammed than say, the safety of artificial sweetners.
You do wonder though, kids using the Internet to do research, and more often it seems, passing off articles on the web as their own work.
You do wonder though, kids using the Internet to do research, and more often it seems, passing off articles on the web as their own work.
Hey, at the Patent Office we use wikipedia all the time. The serious pages generally have good summaries of a subject and good references to look further if required and the crazy pages are great for killing off the crazy patent applications without wasting too much time.
The trick is to work out which is which (crazy page AND crazy applications)!!!
The trick is to work out which is which (crazy page AND crazy applications)!!!
Grrrr.
For Fridge: Really, Wiki in the USPO, not sure how I feel about this and not to start a flame war, but I have an Inventor friend, and yes has at least on Patent that we are cleared to know of (a Fiber Optic Bend Device, they may have used it to do FOG-M in fact, hey what ever happened to FOG-M anyway?) and at least one that the NSA grabbed up in his HS years and well, he's had some things to say about the laxity of the USPO and the fact that at least when he was inventing that they approve some kinda hinky patents....now you saying that you use Wiki to find and stop wanker patents?
I am getting to old for this sh!t.
Still keep up the good and proper work of killing the dupes, and the non-starters, though, really, if they can do it then they should get their patent, crazy or not...I mean me and my friend both love the Idea of the USPO and what it does for innovation, don't think it's hate, it's more like frustration....I suppose you know that working there and all.
But in case no one is paying attention, I am just a kooky old dude and my opinions are none but my own, that I know of.
Funny, although kinda long winded, that is what I said (written for the English weniers like the one in the room with me).
For Fridge: Really, Wiki in the USPO, not sure how I feel about this and not to start a flame war, but I have an Inventor friend, and yes has at least on Patent that we are cleared to know of (a Fiber Optic Bend Device, they may have used it to do FOG-M in fact, hey what ever happened to FOG-M anyway?) and at least one that the NSA grabbed up in his HS years and well, he's had some things to say about the laxity of the USPO and the fact that at least when he was inventing that they approve some kinda hinky patents....now you saying that you use Wiki to find and stop wanker patents?
I am getting to old for this sh!t.
Still keep up the good and proper work of killing the dupes, and the non-starters, though, really, if they can do it then they should get their patent, crazy or not...I mean me and my friend both love the Idea of the USPO and what it does for innovation, don't think it's hate, it's more like frustration....I suppose you know that working there and all.
But in case no one is paying attention, I am just a kooky old dude and my opinions are none but my own, that I know of.
BlackBat242
SOC-14 1K
Actually, if you check fridge's location, it says "Canberra"... the capitol of Oz-land.
Thus, I suspect he works for the RAPO... Royal Australian Patent Office.
Well, that's different....
I have no opinion...yet, on the RAPO, I don't pay taxes to the Crown...well, I didn't, it used to be a Republic.
Well, I can't Speak for Her Majesty and such Officials of the Greater Commonwealth, soo...nevermind.
I have no opinion...yet, on the RAPO, I don't pay taxes to the Crown...well, I didn't, it used to be a Republic.
Correct, the Australian Patent Office. We laugh at some of the things the US offices lets through as well - I remember a toy for entertaining a cat granted in the US that was just a laser pointer. We would let them have the methof of enteraining a cat but not the known device, the US let them have the device as the use was "new" - so don't go playing with laser pointer near your cat in the US else you can be sued!!!.
Sometimes we are constrained by what the law of the land lets us do or the documentary proof we can find. In some areas US examiners have more powers/strengths than us, in others we are stronger. I am sure they laugh as some of the things we let through. One case I did I warned them 6 times there was one particular problem with their case but they refused to budge so I let them have it (we do not have the power to refuse applications but can refer it to a hearing where it can be refused), knowing it would be opposed. Sure enough it was and they fought it all the way to the High Court loosing every time.
Sometimes, for the crazy inventions you have to find someone else's same crazy idea to knock it out. We are not allowed to object that something doesn't work or is contrary to the laws of nature so you to find some other idiot who says he has broken the same laws of nature in the same way. There is a lot of crazys on the internet willing to share their ideas so it is a good source
.
I am going to end this thread hijack now - I don't come here to take about work!!!
Sometimes we are constrained by what the law of the land lets us do or the documentary proof we can find. In some areas US examiners have more powers/strengths than us, in others we are stronger. I am sure they laugh as some of the things we let through. One case I did I warned them 6 times there was one particular problem with their case but they refused to budge so I let them have it (we do not have the power to refuse applications but can refer it to a hearing where it can be refused), knowing it would be opposed. Sure enough it was and they fought it all the way to the High Court loosing every time.
Sometimes, for the crazy inventions you have to find someone else's same crazy idea to knock it out. We are not allowed to object that something doesn't work or is contrary to the laws of nature so you to find some other idiot who says he has broken the same laws of nature in the same way. There is a lot of crazys on the internet willing to share their ideas so it is a good source
.I am going to end this thread hijack now - I don't come here to take about work!!!
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