[Nitack]

Originally Posted by liger

i'm not sure about name of substance but i heard that scientist can make a new synthetic substance that harder that diamond.

could it be Unobtainium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[LJP07]

Doesn't sound like it Nitack...

When we say "Hard", do we mean the density of the substance and the amount of atoms fit into a given space, or hard as in ability to resist damage? Or is it a combination of both? Scientifically, it must have a specific meaning to say Diamond is the hardest substance.

[Nitack]

Originally Posted by LJP07

Doesn't sound like it Nitack...

When we say "Hard", do we mean the density of the substance and the amount of atoms fit into a given space, or hard as in ability to resist damage? Or is it a combination of both? Scientifically, it must have a specific meaning to say Diamond is the hardest substance.

Perhaps it is not my fault for putting the requisite laughing smiley after the link... but you totally missed the joke.

[koji8123]

So if someone were to build themselves a diamond house (for the sake of privacy in the question they painted it) and a nuclear war were to hit in the vicinity of the house, would the house survive? would it absorb the nuclear radiation? and would it stay intact?

[modest]

Originally Posted by koji8123

So if someone were to build themselves a diamond house (for the sake of privacy in the question they painted it) and a nuclear war were to hit in the vicinity of the house, would the house survive? would it absorb the nuclear radiation? and would it stay intact?

It would not stay intact.

Diamonds are very brittle - they crack and shatter like glass. It would be difficult to build a structure in normal conditions.


If the house were painted then it would absorb the thermal radiation of a nuclear bomb. The ultraviolet, visible, and infrared rays that normally cause severe burns are blocked by any material that is opaque. Ionizing radiation such as gamma rays however would penetrate. Nuclear fallout depends on how sealed to outside air it is.

Effects of nuclear explosions - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

~modest

[koji8123]

so obviously in this case a diamond house would be the stupidest thing to build a house for. but wood would shatter just as easily.. so the only thing that can be still intact is a concrete nuclear fallout shelter?

[Moontanman]

Originally Posted by koji8123

so obviously in this case a diamond house would be the stupidest thing to build a house for. but wood would shatter just as easily.. so the only thing that can be still intact is a concrete nuclear fallout shelter?

The only things that could protect you from a nuclear blast would be distance and mass. the further away you are the better off you are and the more mass between you and the explosion the better off you are. personally I would trade a concret bunker for not being on the same side of the world in a heart beat!

[raymond723]

hehe ..very exciting