Direct from the big bang - Deuterium
 

I'm reading "The 4 Percent Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Race to Discover the Rest of Reality" by Richard Panek.

A fascinating read about Cosmology, dark matter, dark energy, and the politics of scientific research.

One small factoid I picked up from the book regards the hydrogen isotope Deuterium. Unlike most of the other things around us, Deuterium cannot be created in stars. All the existing deuterium was created along with the rest of the universe in the big bang.

Which makes it the oldest thing in the entire universe you can lay your hands on. About 13.75 billion years if current theory holds.

I want some! So what if it's primary use is in nuclear reactors, I'm going to the World Science Fiction Convention in a couple of months and I need some geek bling..... "Hey dude, that's a nice Ammonite Fossil Necklace you're wearing, very contemporary of you. Wanna see something really old?

I did a little Goggling and it turns out you can actually purchase Deuterium, primarily in the form of heavy water. Which in reasonable quantities is as dangerous as water. You can even drink it or make ice cubes that sink to the bottom of your glass out of it.

So NA (jewelry maker extraordinaire) How can I create a bit of bling from something that looks, smells and even tastes like water but is just a bit heavier?

small but stylish (and alien looking) glass vile on a chain filled with heavy water. Im thinking something like the 'galaxy' from MiB 1 to add even more geek-tonium weight to its overall blinginess.

(yes, Im gearing my brain up for CCon in a few months...so my geek is showing)

Excellent thoughts, thanks!

I'm trying to come up with something that shows it's not just water. Deuterium does give off a red glow that looks way cool if you put it in a fusion reactor but I foresee complications with TSA if I try to travel with an unlicensed fusion reactor around my neck.

It is slightly heaver than water so perhaps incorporating some type of a balance scale concept would work.

Think, think think....

Is there some material that, due to the different densities, floats in deuterium but not in water?

ETA: I'm not seeing any. The best is kinda the opposite - ice made from deuterium will sink in regular water...which would be a good visual, but difficult to maintain in jewelry form.

The Internet never ceases to amaze me. Apparently I can get a replica of the galaxy charm from MiB custom made by the original artist.

It is amazing what you can find out there!

Interesting idea... I'll have to research that along with heavy waters other properties to see if anything jumps out at me.

Hummm....

Now this looks promising.




I wonder how much current is flowing through that wire.

Asked and answered

Unfortunately, that answer includes the fact that it requires deuterium in gaseous form, not heavy water.

I'm on it....

Wait, if you run an electric current through water, you can separate out Hydrogen gas. I did that in High School chem class. So if you run current through heavy water it seems reasonable that you would separate out Deuterium gas.