Most of the reports yesterday on the discovery of kryptonite in Serbia have focused on the Hollywood angle. Kryptonite being the nemesis of Superman and all. And we're not above a little Superman fun here. Chris Stanley, the minerologist who identified the new mineral said he discovered its relationship to the fictional kryptonite from Superman Returns by Googling its basic chemistry -- sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide--and discovered that it nearly matches the composition of kryptonite.
But it was during an interview on NPR's Day to Day that I discovered why the discovery of this new rock, which is being called Jadarite after the mine where it was found, is cool. Two elements of Jadarite are essential to technology development. Lithium is used in batteries and pharmaceuticals, and boron has applications in semiconductors, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, radiation shielding and emergency shutdown systems for nuclear reactors. According to Wikipedia, and I take all Wikipedia information with a grain of salt, boron has a theoretical role in future interplanetary manned spacecraft as a structural material.
Here's the explanation from Wikipedia:
10B has a theoretical role as structural material (as boron fibers or BN nanotube material) which also would serve a special role in the radiation shield. One of the difficulties in dealing with cosmic rays which are mostly high energy protons, is that some secondary radiation from interaction of cosmic rays and spacecraft structural materials, is high energy spallation neutrons. Such neutrons can be moderated by materials high in light elements such as structural polyethylene, but the moderated neutrons continue to be a radiation hazard unless actively absorbed in a way which dumps the absorption energy in the shielding, far away from biological systems. Among light elements that absorb thermal neutrons, 6Li and 10B appear as potential spacecraft structural materials able to do double duty in this regard.
Jadarite is different in appearance than kryptonite. Jadarite is white and powdery whereas we all know kryptonite is green and glows.
--Catherine MacRae Hockmuth
Hmm, anybody else share my suspicion that the company that made this discovery is secretly part of the corporate empire of Lex Luthor?
Posted by: John F. MacMichael | April 26, 2007 at 06:10 PM
corporate empire nothin'. isn't he the President?! ;-)
Posted by: Sean Meade | April 26, 2007 at 09:07 PM