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Most molecules can be crystallized.
Mineral crystals are abundant, of course.
Complex biological molecules (proteins,
nucleic acids and others) can also be
persuaded to crystallize, though it is often
tricky. The results are frequently
beautiful, with a geometry which, although
often
variable in dimensions, is based on a
consistent set of angles - rather like piece
of music in a certain key.
Cars do not usually crystallize, partly
because they are not soluble. In their
normal situation, a mass of cars will
simply slump into a pile wrought by
gravity. Numbers are also a problem - a
decent crystal requires at least a few
million identical subunits.
Here is the answer. First, we take about
10^6 or 10^7 identical cars. (OK, this is
not strictly an answer, more of a
requirement. Bear with me.) Next, we
need to get them into solution. This
could, possibly, be done by preparing
some sort of mercury amalgam which
would have the same density as the cars,
and in which they would float. However,
this would obscure your view. Moreover,
each car would tend to float in an
orientation dictated by gravity (eg,
engine-end down), which is not what we
want.
So, we need to put the cars into a zero-
gravity environment. Space, for example.
In zero-G, the cars will interact primarily
by gravitational attraction, mimicking the
van der Waaals forces between molecules
in solution. The forces will be extremely
weak, of course.
In time, a few cars will gently collide and,
very slowly, will snuggle together in the
most energetically-favourable
configuration. Gradually, other cars will
accrete into these, each one again jiggling
and snuggling into the optimal
arrangement. Over a number of years, all
the cars will gradually precipitate into a
single, perfect crystal of cars.
Of course, normal crystals contain flaws
such as dislocations, which often help the
crystal to grow faster, by providing "cosy
corners" into which new molecules can fit.
Doubtless similar phenomena would arise
in an automobile crystal.
Remember, if you're not part of the
solution, you're part of the precipitate.
Pachinko
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachinko
A curious national obsession [8th of 7, Dec 16 2007]
Automotive crystal formation in Britain
http://www.bl.uk/le...%20motorway%20l.jpg
[ldischler, Dec 21 2007]
(lol) We're Famous!
http://list.web.net...October/000295.html
Try googling your own alias, you'd be surprised what you find! [quantum_flux, Dec 24 2007]
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you had me at "cars in space", no need to get all technical, just launch them puppies into random orbits |
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The problem with mercury is that it forms an amalgam with many metals. You need a solvent which has a similar density as cars, retains a resonable viscosity in the low temperatures present in space, and has a low vapour pressure (mercury has quite a high vapour pressure). |
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Since you propose the experiment (activity ? art ?) be performed on a macroscopic scale, the "solvent" does not in fact have to be a liquid. It can be any material with a suitable "viscosity" and a particle size which is small compared to the cars; although whether this would mean that you would then have a suspension, emulsion or colloid is open to further debate. |
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The use of large quantitites of glass beads or marbles suggests itself. Any other suggestions ? |
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PS Please don't park your edifice too near our Cube, we have only pulled up to ask directions and are not good at reversing out of small spaces. |
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I wonder if such a crystal could be cut into a shape that accented the refractive index, and then mounted on Saturn's rings. |
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//The use of large quantitites of glass
beads or marbles suggests itself. Any
other suggestions ? // The problem
will be one of friction and gravity - a
large container of glass beads,
populated with Mercedes, will remain in
the same state for an exceedingly long
time. Hence my suggestion to do this
in space. |
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[Lurch] - Hummer doping may well
introduce novel properties. Moreover,
it may be possible to co-crystallize
Mercedes with some smaller vehicle,
such as SmartCars, in equimolar
amount. Using suitably long-
wavelength radiation, one ought to be
able to solve the structure of the co-
crystal by diffraction, and therefore
discover the structure of the Mercedes/
SmartCar complex. |
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[Ling] nice idea. I'm not sure if the
binding energy of the crystal would be
enough to overcome tidal forces from
Saturn's moons, however. |
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Brilliant. You had me at //Cars do not usually crystallize//. + |
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//Any other suggestions ? // Road cones? |
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Road cones will hav peculiar packing characteristics, high "viscosity", and their size and suface area are significant compared to the "solute"........ |
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// remain in the same state for an exceedingly long time // |
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I do not dispute this, just a first thought. A free-fall environment will help. Maybe a PTFE coating on the spheres, or molybdenum disulphide ? |
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<later> The idea of co-crystalising is intriguing; it would be appropriate to consider the position of Mercedes in the electroautomotive series, and from this compile a list of possible reactants thet will readily form stable covalent bonds. |
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I have seen a SmartCar covalently bond
with a Mercedes, but this was in a
controlled experiment using accelerated
particles. We're not necessarily looking
for covalent bonds, which would in any
case distort the Merc. Non-covalent
interactions are likely to be more common. |
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//pleasing patterns, based upon
magnetic field lines.// Yes, an
interesting idea, but not what I had in
mind. You see, if you magnetized the
cars, you would effectively predefine
their aggregation pattern, by defining
the locations of the north and south
pole of each car. It's true, of course,
that electrostatic interactions guide the
formation of a protein crystal (in a way
not too dissimilar to magnetism), but I
don't like the idea of imposing an
arbitrarily-chosen pattern in this way.
I'd sooner just rely on gravity, which is
sort of a vague proxy for van der Waaals
forces. |
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//Personally, I'd go with the V Dub
"dak-daks" for their uniform shape.//
I'm not sure what a "dak-dak" is, I'm
afraid. If, by "uniform", you mean that
each of them is identical to the others,
then this is of course essential for good
crystal packing, but I'd expect any well-
built car to have a consistent shape. If
by "uniform" you mean simple or
symmetrical, then I'd oppose this.
Protein molecules are anything but
simple or symmetric, but the miracle of
crystal growth means that they
nevertheless find the optimal regular
packing geometry. |
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If crystallogrophers are half as smart as
they are supposed to be, they actually
ought to be able to predict the packing
arrangement from the shape of the car. |
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Only the electron shells, and even then only in a probabalistic sense .... |
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The Merc/SmartCar amalgam that I saw
was a probabilistic write-off. |
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... since cars are of a uniform(ish) width/height, used cars would make cheap, effective ammunition for large-scale railguns ; don't junk that old road-warrior, give it to the Terran Space Force to defend against alien attack. |
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OK, consider this. Water molecules can form a crystal, and can be imagined as a large ball on top with two smaller balls below. NH3 would be a large ball on top of three smaller balls, while a large ball with four smaller balls underneath forms a Pivo. |
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// a large ball with four smaller balls underneath forms a Pivo // |
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Ahhh .... combined with their enthusiasm for Pachinko, this explains why almost all Japanese cars are a pile of balls ..... |
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//Water molecules can form a crystal, and
can be imagined as a large ball on top with
two smaller balls below.....// Quite so.
But the crystal form is very difficult to
predict from the molecular structure alone,
especially in the case of complex
molecules such as proteins or saloons. |
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I'm stunned, but not sure in which way. |
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rearrange the colors into a nice cube-a buicks' cube. |
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[Dentworth] - if you're not going to take
this seriously, then neither am I. |
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//I'm not sure if the binding energy of the crystal would be enough to overcome tidal forces from Saturn's moons, however.// |
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Merely a flaw, but that's how you know it's natural and not synthetic. |
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If the Mercedes yields the good crystal, then Mercury is the cheap zirconic knockoff. |
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It may display Opel-escent qualities. |
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It is well known that some benz-oates are liquid crystals, but you have to eliminate the liquidated chryslers. |
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There is certainly no dodging the issue of scale, if we are to view this crystal, we are going to need to illuminate it with a huge beamer. |
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The preferred embodiment of this idea would be large amounts of nicotinic acid, after all it, has niassins. |
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Puns? There's not a Lada them around these here parts. |
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So quick, just a Hyunbai? |
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I have got to agree, that *is* no mean fleet. I would love to Citroend the fireplace and talk crystal lattices in space. My worry is Saablimation in the vacuum, that is where the rubber meets the road. |
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I try and Stay away from local brand names, as they are usually country specific. I use manufacturers names to make my marque. Having said that, to Triumph over the mundane should be considered a Valiant effort, worthy of Prius. |
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Sorry Officer, I didn't see the Mercedes - I was diffracted... |
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Dear gods and little fishes. I turn my back
on this idea for 12 hours, and come back
to find it littered with the debris of
wordplay.
This is a Punto many. |
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Do not exhaust yourself dear Max. The "some of the parts are generally more than the hole". |
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All these puns are polluting this Audi-a. |
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Datsun other point, but there's no need to Chrysler Rover it. |
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Are those croissants I see before me, or
Rolls? |
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OK. No more puns. And you're all fired. |
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I did voiture idea positively. |
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<shuffles off, dragging feet and grumbles about being offendered> |
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[Jinbish] was Austin for it, it was only a matter of time before he was Escorted off the Primerases by the Shore Petrol ...... |
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On yer bikes, the half bloody lot of you. |
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I was Reliant on the more reponsible
amongst you to call a halt to this kind of
thing. But no - you just Citroen on your
Astons thinking up more bloody puns.
There's no Opel. |
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The Buick stops here .... |
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<points at "Buick Stop" sign> |
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"tssh! You call that vacuuming your car"? |
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"Explosive decompression car vacuum system" ? |
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Actually, the process of crystallization is
quite effective at excluding impurities. All
dirt, debris, dead ducks, dust, dental floss,
detritus, and dung should be excluded and
will appear on the surface of the crystal,
whence it may be simply wiped away. |
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a + from me for quoting toothpastefordinner |
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//if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.// [marked-for-tagline] |
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