D&D General Technology in D&D, the IRL Timeline, and Pausing It.

[Thunderfoot]

Why would diamonds not exist just because of a readily available superconductor?

A readily avail organic room temperature super conductor being discovered is such a huge thing that it would impact us today in almost unimaginable ways. Something like that being discovered early enough would have drastically changed how we developed technologically.

Put in another perspective is the US rural electrification project long ago. At the time it meant installing poles all over with huge economic results both in paying people to do it and them having things like electric lighting. Also however is the fact that it was pretty difficult to transmit power more than about 2 miles.

We have since learned a lot of things to improve the range of how far we can pipe electricity from a power plant, but it comes at the cost of things like high voltage wire runs and electrical switching stations all over. That 2ish mile range rdsulylted in lots of tiny power plants in little towns all over. With that superconductor it could be a bunch of windmills spread over tens of miles or more without the 2ish mile problem.

My point is that diamonds occur naturally when coal is pressurized. Superconducted electricity, while amazing does not form enough pressure or heat to produce 'nuclear diamonds'. Atomic blasts do... (See the museum of atomic energy for more info).

 

[Thunderfoot]

Extremely rare, perhaps unique, nuclear fission has been known to occur naturally. Natural nuclear fission reactor - Wikipedia

Nature's Nuclear Reactors: The 2-Billion-Year-Old Natural Fission Reactors in Gabon, Western Africa

blogs.scientificamerican.com

Okay... so 'almost' non-existant. lmao

 

[tetrasodium]

My point is that diamonds occur naturally when coal is pressurized. Superconducted electricity, while amazing does not form enough pressure or heat to produce 'nuclear diamonds'. Atomic blasts do... (See the museum of atomic energy for more info).

Is there a big demand for "nuclear diamonds"? The closest I can think of is Trinitite & that's mostly only of interest to science classrooms as a conversation piece curiosity at this point

 

[Faolyn]

Umbran made some very salient points about coal. But take it another step, without coal... no diamonds. Unless you somehow develop nuclear fission in a desert before developing the burning of fossil fuels, diamonds won't exist. Closest you might get it FIREBALL glass. But it would still be glass.

Diamonds aren't actually made of coal.

 

[LordEntrails]

Okay... so 'almost' non-existant. lmao

True, though don't forget we are already talking about changing frequencies of real-world naturally occurring events. So if one wants to remove certain micro-organisms, one could just as easily increase the natural occurence of other phenomenon. Or you know, Magic could have other effects than just spells.

 

[Umbran]

Umbran made some very salient points about coal. But take it another step, without coal... no diamonds.

Well, that assumes that, in your fantasy world, diamonds come from geologic processes. If, instead, they come from intrusions into the crust from the Elemental Plane of Earth, or they are the waste products of Elder Xorn deep in the ground, or whatever, well, then you have diamonds.

 

[Cadence]

Diamonds aren't actually made of coal.

I can't believe the Avengers lied to me!

 

[Umbran]

Why would diamonds not exist just because of a readily available superconductor?

I think I missed something.

Setting aside how someone has noted that coal -> diamonds is incorrect...

I specifically stated that the world in question HAD COAL. But in that world, they didn't use it as a fuel. So why the heck are we talking about diamonds made with superconductors?

 

[tetrasodium]

I think I missed something.

Setting aside how someone has noted that coal -> diamonds is incorrect...

I specifically stated that the world in question HAD COAL. But in that world, they didn't use it as a fuel.

You and me both. I tried to explain how the superconductor being discovered early enough could really fork out technological development in a different direxithdt skips coal but could not figure out how or why diamonds not existing played in so asked.

 

[Faolyn]

I can't believe the Avengers lied to me!

That's OK. They were just repeating the lie Superboy told them.