Neptune and Uranus may have diamond oceans

[vonneuman]

Check this out:
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-01/diamond-oceans-may-cover-neptune-and-uranus

Would be a cool scenario of Orbiter don't you think?

 

[ThatGuy]

UCGO diamond mine!

 

[Bj]

That would be rich.

If they brought back huge quantities of Diamonds back, the price of diamonds will drop steeply, at least, Neptune and Uranus diamonds anyway. Still worth looking into I think.

 

[Andy44]

No, bringing diamonds back would cost more than the diamonds themselves are worth.

Even if the moon was made of solid gold, going there to get it would cost more than the gold you bring back. Getting something out of Neptune's gravity well would be quite a bit more difficult.

 

[vonneuman]

UCGO diamond mine!

Yes! You could land on a diamond iceberg and unpack a UCGO mine.

 

[JamesG]

No, bringing diamonds back would cost more than the diamonds themselves are worth.

Even if the moon was made of solid gold, going there to get it would cost more than the gold you bring back. Getting something out of Neptune's gravity well would be quite a bit more difficult.

There you going being all realistic and stuff...

Yeah, all of the gas giants supposedly have cores of useful and to us exotic materials and all of them are likely to be beyond our grasp for a very long time.

 

[T.Neo]

No, bringing diamonds back would cost more than the diamonds themselves are worth.

Even if the moon was made of solid gold, going there to get it would cost more than the gold you bring back. Getting something out of Neptune's gravity well would be quite a bit more difficult

It all depends on what level of technology you have.

In the same way that gold mines in Johannesburg would not be possible without advanced enough technology.

The problem won't be getting there and getting the diamonds back. It'll be getting to the diamonds, under thousands of atmospheres of metallic hydrogen. Which is less plausible then tunnelling to the core of the Earth.

If we ever use gas giants in the forseeable future, we'll skim the upper atmospheres for hydrogen etc. If you want diamonds on the cheap, grow them in a lab.

Most uses for diamonds don't require gem-quality stones anyway.

 

[JamesG]

Would be an interesting exotic environment.

Imagine Earth sized islands of diamond floating in a black carbon sea under a murky blue "sky" of liquid hydrogen.

 

[T.Neo]

Yes, it would be awesome.

It would also crush and burn you to death in milleseconds.

 

[JamesG]

Yes, it would be awesome.

It would also crush and burn you to death in milleseconds.

Not if you were adapted to that environment.

People look for "Earth-like" worlds for life, but I like to think about the potential for xeno-life in extreme environments. Just because our life is based on a beniegn water, carbon system doesn't mean that it can't develop based on (to us) exotic chemistry and elements in extreme conditions that we barely understand.

 

[T.Neo]

Not if you were adapted to that environment.

Perhaps, but I'm talking about it from a human point of view.

People look for "Earth-like" worlds for life, but I like to think about the potential for xeno-life in extreme environments. Just because our life is based on a beniegn water, carbon system doesn't mean that it can't develop based on (to us) exotic chemistry and elements in extreme conditions that we barely understand.

The chemistry that terran life is based on is actually pretty probable; water, carbon and nitrogen are pretty common in the universe, and carbon is a very reactive molecule. Water is also a very good solvent for life; it has certain qualities that make it ideal for life.

I'm not saying that "life as we know it" is the only life possible, just that life as we know it is bound to be pretty common due to the abundance of it's constituent parts. If you however do have an idea of how so called "alternate biochemistries" would work, give a better explanation then "it's alien lolz".

And we aren't "normal". Even life pretty similar to us could choke to death in our atmosphere...

 

[Ghostrider]

"it's alien lolz".

Hi, I'm Lolz. Take me to your leader.

 

[T.Neo]

Husband: "Honey, there's an alien at the door called Lolz."

Wife: "Is he from Mexico?"

Husband: "No, he's from Planet Xyborg."

Wife: "Is that near Mexico?"

:rofl:

 

[jinglesassy]

Wife: "Is that near Mexico?"

:rofl:

lol nice and so true

 

[JamesG]

If you however do have an idea of how so called "alternate biochemistries" would work, give a better explanation then "it's alien lolz".

Why not? It worked for James Cameron. lol!

And we aren't "normal". Even life pretty similar to us could choke to death in our atmosphere...

Since "we" are the only life we know. It is our baseline and what we will inevitably compare other life to.

 

[Turbinator]

One thing that I really do not understand is how diamonds from nature continue to be valuable or important when you can now create 100% perfect diamonds with machines. At a very low cost, a lot lower than mining or buying.

 

[Ghostrider]

Since "we" are the only life we know. It is our baseline and what we will inevitably compare other life to.

Inevitable SF quote:

... Such repulsive creatures they were, with only two arms and two legs, ghastly white skins and no scales.

 

[tblaxland]

One thing that I really do not understand is how diamonds from nature continue to be valuable or important when you can now create 100% perfect diamonds with machines. At a very low cost, a lot lower than mining or buying.

"100% perfect" is in the eye of the beholder. For many, especially those interested in fashion, the origin is as important as the final product.

 

[T.Neo]

Why not? It worked for James Cameron. lol!

It may seem workable for the average moviegoer, but anyone with knowledge of how evolution works will instantly recognise the Na'vi as highly implausible.

The other creatures in the film, notably the flying creatures, were pretty good though.

Since "we" are the only life we know. It is our baseline and what we will inevitably compare other life to.

That is a very valid point, but IMO if we ever want to understand the universe, we have to set aside our Earth-centric views and explore every possibility.

My case in point: Early reconstructions of dinosaurs that based them upon iguanas and monitor lizards...

ghastly white skins

*ahem*...

"100% perfect" is in the eye of the beholder.

What she doesn't know can't hurt her.

 

[Andy44]

One thing that I really do not understand is how diamonds from nature continue to be valuable or important when you can now create 100% perfect diamonds with machines. At a very low cost, a lot lower than mining or buying.

It's marketing by deBeers. Seriously. Natural diamonds aren't even rare. They are just a cornered market. And deBeers made a bunch of commercials convincing women that if you don't buy them an expensive natural diamond it means you don't really love them.

And as long as women believe that, gentlemen, we must pay!:tiphat: