5 ms·

This is one of those moments I feel so out of touch with the community here. Is this even real life?

by mclightning 5y ago

mensetmanusman 5y ago
Aha, yes. I wanted one for a mini periodic table.
- divbzero 5y ago
  Would you include radioactive elements in your real life periodic table?
  - mensetmanusman 5y ago
    No, because they would change into other elements :)
skohan 5y ago
I actually had the opposite reaction. A few months ago, I was researching a project involving a counterweight, and the periodic table led me to tungsten on account of its density. That was until I saw the price. Ever since then I have been vaguely considering buying a tungsten cube as a curiosity. I am bemused to find that others on hacker news seem to have arrived at the same idea.
- kragen 5y ago
  Totally by coincidence, yesterday I was trying to plot out the cost/kg vs. density Pareto optimality curve. Construction sand is US$0.03/kg and 2.4 g/cc; magnetite is US$0.10/kg and about 5 g/cc (I don't have the notes in front of me); scrap steel is US$0.20/kg and 7.9 g/cc; scrap lead is US$0.95/kg and 11.3 g/cc or maybe a bit less; tungsten is US$30/kg and 19 g/cc; and osmium is US$13000/kg and 22.65 g/cc. I'm interested to know what I'm missing; is there anything denser than steel but cheaper than lead, for example, or denser than magnetite but cheaper than scrap steel? Is there tungsten carbide that's cheaper than tungsten? Mercury is denser than lead but doesn't have a well-defined market price any more and has certain disadvantages. Many mercury amalgams would be a better substitute in many circumstances, but they might impose high costs on you for reasons that come down to pure superstition.
AndrewOMartin 5y ago
Maybe you'll prefer one of the million articles about a passive £10k MRR, or how I sold my Twitter bit for an infinity billion dollar valuation, but this thread is about someone who spent a slightly disconcerting amount of money on an entirely inert, but hefty, cube of material and finds it pleasant.
tiborsaas 5y ago
If you take a closer look, it's a brilliant sales pitch with an affiliate link to Amazon.
- eps 5y ago
  I see two links there, neither is of an affiliate type.

This is one of those moments I feel so out of touch with the community here. Is this even real life?

mensetmanusman 5y ago

Aha, yes. I wanted one for a mini periodic table.

divbzero 5y ago
Would you include radioactive elements in your real life periodic table?
- mensetmanusman 5y ago
  No, because they would change into other elements :)

skohan 5y ago

I actually had the opposite reaction. A few months ago, I was researching a project involving a counterweight, and the periodic table led me to tungsten on account of its density. That was until I saw the price. Ever since then I have been vaguely considering buying a tungsten cube as a curiosity. I am bemused to find that others on hacker news seem to have arrived at the same idea.

kragen 5y ago
Totally by coincidence, yesterday I was trying to plot out the cost/kg vs. density Pareto optimality curve. Construction sand is US$0.03/kg and 2.4 g/cc; magnetite is US$0.10/kg and about 5 g/cc (I don't have the notes in front of me); scrap steel is US$0.20/kg and 7.9 g/cc; scrap lead is US$0.95/kg and 11.3 g/cc or maybe a bit less; tungsten is US$30/kg and 19 g/cc; and osmium is US$13000/kg and 22.65 g/cc. I'm interested to know what I'm missing; is there anything denser than steel but cheaper than lead, for example, or denser than magnetite but cheaper than scrap steel? Is there tungsten carbide that's cheaper than tungsten? Mercury is denser than lead but doesn't have a well-defined market price any more and has certain disadvantages. Many mercury amalgams would be a better substitute in many circumstances, but they might impose high costs on you for reasons that come down to pure superstition.

AndrewOMartin 5y ago

Maybe you'll prefer one of the million articles about a passive £10k MRR, or how I sold my Twitter bit for an infinity billion dollar valuation, but this thread is about someone who spent a slightly disconcerting amount of money on an entirely inert, but hefty, cube of material and finds it pleasant.

tiborsaas 5y ago

If you take a closer look, it's a brilliant sales pitch with an affiliate link to Amazon.

eps 5y ago
I see two links there, neither is of an affiliate type.