03/04/2003 - 11:13 a.m.

Maybe to an astral plane

The planet Uranus is something like four times the size of the Earth. It has been suggested that the inside of the planet Uranus is made up largely of compressed carbon. Compressed carbon, big deal, what's that then? What is it? Well, compressed carbon is the hardest natural substance found on this planet, posessing the ability to finely cut glass and just about any other surface. That's right, diamonds.

If this is true, only a few astronomical units away can be found at least the weight of the entire Earth in diamonds. In the future, then, if it somehow becomes possible to travel to the outer reaches of the solar system and land on these giant surfaceless plants, Uranus is going to become a mining planet. Mankind will tunnel deep inside the planet for diamonds, so scare on our own planet that we value them more highly than any other gem.

If it becomes possible, and the world has not changed the tune it sings now, the Uranus diamond mines will come to pass.

Oddly enough, though, compressed carbon can also turn into something else. Graphite- used in pencils. This happens when, I believe, plates of compressed carbon rock shift under the earth's surface and rub against each other. The result is graphite. From the midst of a thousand jeweled necklaces, pencils are being formed. That's an idea I like.