Iron

[cronus]

What's with this?

It makes stars explode and instead of being wary of some serious hidden properties we use it to make things.

[mistermack]

What's with this?

It makes stars explode and instead of being wary of some serious hidden properties we use it to make things.

I'm a big fan of iron. It's in my blood.

[cronus]

What's with this?

It makes stars explode and instead of being wary of some serious hidden properties we use it to make things.

I'm a big fan of iron. It's in my blood.

Best to keep that quiet the way things are going....

[Hermit]

Considering that 98.31% of the sun consists of hydrogen and helium it seems a little odd to say that ferrum makes stars explode. At any rate, a more likely explanation is that the explosion was caused by sheer pressure of gravity that developed due to a massive amalgamation of atoms.

[Tero]

Iron: it's a survivor. Hydrogen, pffftt! gone.

Iron likes to float around space and then it does a kind of dance and gets in the middle of small debse planets. There it deflects solar wind. So the critters survive. All in the plan, from the Creator.

Anything else?

[Seth]

I get somebody else to do it, or just wear it wrinkled...if it ain't permanent-press, it's wrinkled.

[cronus]

I get somebody else to do it, or just wear it wrinkled...if it ain't permanent-press, it's wrinkled.

wrinkled...better for camouflage in a dangerous time.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Iron doesn't make stars explode at all! Quite the opposite, it makes them implode!

While there is fusion fuel available, the expansion force of the thermonuclear reaction can offset the star's gravity. Once that fuel has been used up and all that is left is iron, gravity gets a grip and there's a big fat scrunch.

[cronus]

Iron doesn't make stars explode at all! Quite the opposite, it makes them implode!

While there is fusion fuel available, the expansion force of the thermonuclear reaction can offset the star's gravity. Once that fuel has been used up and all that is left is iron, gravity gets a grip and there's a big fat scrunch.

Implosion = Explosion in the opposite direction to the blast.

[MiM]

Iron has the lowest inertial energy of all elements. Entropy works towards making everything into Iron. Iron is what a dead universe would consist of (barring proton decay).

[JimC]

Gold is for the mistress -- silver for the maid --
Copper for the craftsman cunning at his trade."
"Good!" said the Baron, sitting in his hall,
"But Iron -- Cold Iron -- is master of them all."

So he made rebellion 'gainst the King his liege,
Camped before his citadel and summoned it to siege.
"Nay!" said the cannoneer on the castle wall,
"But Iron -- Cold Iron -- shall be master of you all!"

Woe for the Baron and his knights so strong,
When the cruel cannon-balls laid 'em all along;
He was taken prisoner, he was cast in thrall,
And Iron -- Cold Iron -- was master of it all!

Yet his King spake kindly (ah, how kind a Lord!)
"What if I release thee now and give thee back thy sword?"
"Nay!" said the Baron, "mock not at my fall,
For Iron -- Cold Iron -- is master of men all."

"Tears are for the craven, prayers are for the clown --
Halters for the silly neck that cannot keep a crown."
"As my loss is grievous, so my hope is small,
For Iron -- Cold Iron -- must be master of men all!"

Yet his King made answer (few such Kings there be!)
"Here is Bread and here is Wine -- sit and sup with me.
Eat and drink in Mary's Name, the whiles I do recall
How Iron -- Cold Iron -- can be master of men all!"

He took the Wine and blessed it. He blessed and brake the Bread.
With His own Hands He served Them, and presently He said:
"See! These Hands they pierced with nails, outside My city wall,
Show Iron -- Cold Iron -- to be master of men all."

"Wounds are for the desperate, blows are for the strong.
Balm and oil for weary hearts all cut and bruised with wrong.
I forgive thy treason -- I redeem thy fall --
For Iron -- Cold Iron -- must be master of men all!"

"Crowns are for the valiant -- sceptres for the bold!
Thrones and powers for mighty men who dare to take and hold!"
"Nay!" said the Baron, kneeling in his hall,
"But Iron -- Cold Iron -- is master of men all!
Iron out of Calvary is master of men all!"

[Calilasseia]

Iron has the lowest inertial energy of all elements

Correction. it has the lowest nuclear binding energy of all the elements. The release of extra nuclear binding energy during the fusion of lighter elements is what makes the requisite fusion reactions self-sustaining, as long as there exist nuclei of the requisite species to fuse. Once you hit iron, any further fusion reactions consume energy instead of releasing it, which is why fusion past iron is not self-sustaining. However, when a supernova occurs, there's more than enough energy input into some of the outflying material to initiate localised fusion reactions of this sort.

Entropy works towards making everything into Iron.

Except when supernovae get to work. See: neutron drip line.

Iron is what a dead universe would consist of (barring proton decay).

Actually, you'd be looking at iron, plus whatever heavier elements (most of which are stable) were synthesised by those supernovae, along with the helium from red dwarfs, which never possess sufficient mass to ignite higher fusion reactions.

[Seth]

Except when supernovae get to work. See: neutron drip line.

Nurse! Start a neutron drip stat, and give that star 50 of plutonium before it crashes on us....

[FBM]

If you're more than about 175 yards from the green, go with wood instead.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Haven't used an iron for fucking years!