Learning with the Fang

Now this is very cool – I am only one degree of separation away from two people who could shed some real light on something fascinating I heard on the radio today:

‘Scientists have discovered carbon nano-tubes in ancient damascus-blade swords’

You can hear Dr Karl mention this at the start of his show on Triple J for Thursday November 16. From what I have been able to gather from a couple of quick searches and some reading, the carbon – steel hardening process used by the ancient sword makers likely created conditions that produce carbon60 (or buckminster fullerene, bucky balls or nano tubes). This google search points to some good information (including reference to recent additions to a 1998 JOM paper) that required a username/password that I dont have ;-(

I had the privilege of podcasting Sir Prof Harry Kroto – one of the scientists who won a Nobel prize for the discovery of buckminster fullerene a while back, and remember him saying that every time you light a bunsen burner, some carbon 60 is produced.

So, Harry, Karl or anyone else – can you add any interesting facts to this story?

Fang – Mike Seyfang

technorati tags:damascus, steel, buckminsterfullerene