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Curiouser And Curiouser: NASA's Curiosity Rover Finds Piles Of Silica On Mars
NPR ^
| 12/18/2015
| Bill Chappell
Posted on 12/19/2015 4:50:10 PM PST by BenLurkin
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1
posted on
12/19/2015 4:50:10 PM PST
by
BenLurkin
To: SunkenCiv
To: BenLurkin
To: BenLurkin
![](http://www.animatedweb.it/imagestore/images/deserti/silicaglass2.jpg)
Maybe Mars got nuked.
4
posted on
12/19/2015 5:01:42 PM PST
by
smokingfrog
( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
To: BenLurkin
The agency says it also found "a mineral named tridymite, rare on Earth and never seen before on Mars." Cool-looking mineral
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Tridymite_tabulars_-_Ochtendung%2C_Eifel%2C_Germany.jpg)
Tridymite is a high-temperature polymorph of silica and usually occurs as minute tabular white or colorless pseudo-hexagonal crystals, or scales, in cavities in felsic volcanic rocks. Its chemical formula is SiO2. Tridymite was first described in 1868 and the type location is in Hidalgo, Mexico. The name is from the Greek tridymos for triplet as tridymite commonly occurs as twinned crystal trillings
5
posted on
12/19/2015 5:08:35 PM PST
by
COBOL2Java
(I'll vote for Jeb when Terri Schiavo endorses him.)
To: BenLurkin
6
posted on
12/19/2015 5:10:16 PM PST
by
Bon mots
To: Bon mots
I found 535 piles of poop in congress
7
posted on
12/19/2015 5:11:27 PM PST
by
john316
(JOSHUA 24:15 ...choose you this day whom ye will serve...)
To: john316
Dilution is the solution to pollution Or get rid of the Dogs
8
posted on
12/19/2015 5:18:23 PM PST
by
justrepublican
(Screaming like a "Vexatious requester" at a Wellstone memorial...........)
To: BenLurkin
Not rare - common on Earth in volcanic soils -
SiO2 in a different form.
![](http://www.azomining.com/images/Article_Images/ImageForArticle_481(1).jpg)
"Silica is a highly versatile mineral and has found use in a myriad of applications. A silica-based aerogel was utilized in the Stardust spacecraft to gather extraterrestrial particles. Silica facilitates powder flow in the production of pharmaceutical products, such as tablets. It may be utilized for extracting DNA and RNA and is utilized in toothpaste as a hard abrasive tooth plaque removal. Its natural absorbency and light-diffusing properties make it useful in cosmetic applications. Colloidal silica is used as a wine- and juice-fining agent in the food and beverage industries. As a refractory material, silica is used as a high-temperature thermal protection fabric."
9
posted on
12/19/2015 5:18:48 PM PST
by
PIF
(They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
To: smokingfrog; Darksheare
Trintite?
Could be worse, look what happened to the next one out...
10
posted on
12/19/2015 5:24:03 PM PST
by
null and void
(I've been to Switzerland. I liked it, the flag's a big plus!)
To: BenLurkin
11
posted on
12/19/2015 5:27:29 PM PST
by
usconservative
(When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
To: BenLurkin
Its really a beautiful place if you like desolation.
12
posted on
12/19/2015 5:33:08 PM PST
by
cripplecreek
(Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.)
To: BenLurkin
13
posted on
12/19/2015 5:39:03 PM PST
by
Paladin2
(my non-desktop devices are no longer allowed to try to fix speling and punctuation, nor my gran-mah.)
To: BenLurkin
14
posted on
12/19/2015 5:47:56 PM PST
by
soycd
To: smokingfrog
15
posted on
12/19/2015 5:49:03 PM PST
by
abigkahuna
(Here now and whatever....)
To: abigkahuna
Some of the Utopians obviously escaped and made it to Earth. They now call themselves Progessives.
16
posted on
12/19/2015 6:01:38 PM PST
by
smokingfrog
( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
To: smoothsailing
17
posted on
12/19/2015 6:15:19 PM PST
by
Dr.Deth
To: cripplecreek
Makes me thirsty for an icy cold bottle of Sunset Sarsaparilla.
18
posted on
12/19/2015 6:17:19 PM PST
by
BenLurkin
(The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
To: Dr.Deth
Damn it, Jim. I’m a doctor, not a brick layer.
19
posted on
12/19/2015 6:18:52 PM PST
by
BenLurkin
(The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
To: smokingfrog
Looks like the Mojave Desert near Baker, CA.
20
posted on
12/19/2015 6:20:57 PM PST
by
TaMoDee
(Go Pack Go! The Pack will be back in 2015!)
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