Antarctic meteorite yields exotic new mineral
NASA has announced the discovery of a new mineral inside a "historically significant"* meteorite recovered from Antarctica in December 1969. The exotic blend of sulphur and titanium was spotted in the 4.5bn-year-old Yamato 691 enstatite chondrite, which may have once formed part of an asteroid orbiting between Jupiter and Mars …
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hmmmm....
Gee that looks like something in that puc.... :O
I for one....
Invasion of the body snatchers, evolution, day of the triffids etc....
uh oh...
i'd say superman is crapping his pants about now.
Wassonite... more like Alienite!
Read about this stuff before, recovered from the 2nd (yes 2nd!) roswell saucer crash not recovered until '49. The one they did manage to cover-up properly!
but...
If it's 50x450nm, how do they know there aren't bits of it lying around all over the place? Who'd notice?
Your joking with the name right?
Whats-On-It? pronounced in a yobbish (scouser perhaps?) accent - Wass-on-it?
I can imagine how that conversation went - presentation to the big boss...
Scientist 1: "and this is the meterotie results shown here."
Scientist 2: "Wass on it there?"
Scientist 1: "Ahhh....... Thats the new mineral we just discovered, were calling it... "Wassonite", after.... ummm.... John... John Wasson that meteorite guy from UC."
Boss: "Brilliant. What does it do?"
Scientist 1: "Well, we will need more funding to work that out..."
;)
Wassonite?
Seriously? So they have a bunch of UK A-level students working in NASA naming dept now, who were having a see who could come up with the most stupid name AND get it agreed competition?!
Why not just go full pelt and call it LickMyMarmiteCoveredBallsANite!!!!
Welcome to mineralogy 101
Where, rather than trying to remember cleavage patterns* you spend your time looking up rude mineral names in the index.
Also includes arsenolite, welshite, fukalite, kinoshitolite and my all-time favourite, fornacite.
* so much less interesting than you might think.
Titanium Sulphur Alloy...
...stronger than steel, but it stinks.
nice one
that's the funniest thing i've read all week. thanks for that. 10 points for hilarity.
physical properties?
the interesting question would be: what are it's physical properties, and what effects does it have interacting or reacting with other substances? but i guess it'll take more than a few enshrined tiny grains to work that lot out.
PS. very funny discussion. hehe.
Well They couldn't Call it
Unobtainium now could they, that would be just too weird.
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
I'm having flashbacks about "The Core"! "The Earth core has stopped spinning", "OOOh, a geode", Lightning that only hits major landmarks... Noooooooooooooooooooooo
All those years of counselling wasted....
Lexicological confusion ?
«... Wassonite has been recognised by the International Mineralogical Association and added to its list of 4,500 officially-approved minerals.» Officially approved ? Perhaps Mr Haines means «officially recognised» (without the hyphen) ?...
Henri
Nothing new in this world - or out of it.
Typed it into Amazon.co.uk and got two items offered. Now that's service.
don't mention the core!
how could they make a film about journeying to the centre of the earth without Doug McClure in it?!?!?!
still not enough present to bond with my skeleton
So Wassonite...
with a size of 50x450 nanometers is big enough to be an official mineral, but Pluto's too small to be a planet. Huh?
So its not enough for a countertop....
But how long until Richard Branson is seen ostentatiously cleaning his teeth with a Wassonite toothpick?
And make sure you process that Wassonite in either an acidic or base environment. I dont want an Andromeda breakout before I've had my shots!!
Ah yes BUT...
this is nowhere near as good as the material that can withstand the force of 75 Hiroshimas. THAT is a new material worth knowing about. If anyone can tell me the name of the material (I know it) then you get a prize !. The inventor is a retired hairdresser.
Act inconspicious ...
Are they ever going to be embarrassed when they find out it's "Processed Cheese Food" ...
No smell, right ?
Tastes like a foil wrapped 4.5b year old 3 minute egg ?
It's Velveta you fools, organometallic Cheese Wiz !
C&C is real!!
I'm expecting GDI and the Brotherhood of NOD to start duking it out ANY MINUTE NOW.
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