What is the hardest man made material?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the question of whether humans have created any material harder than diamond, exploring both man-made and naturally occurring substances. It includes considerations of theoretical materials and the challenges of defining and measuring hardness.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Debate/contested, Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires if humans have created anything harder than diamond.
  • Another participant references aggregated diamond nanorods as a potential candidate for a harder material.
  • Some participants introduce neutronium as a naturally occurring material that may be harder than diamond, contingent on its existence.
  • Concerns are raised about the practicality of neutronium, suggesting that it cannot be utilized due to its explosive nature when removed from a neutron star.
  • There is a discussion about the properties of neutron star cores, with one participant suggesting they may not be hard at all due to their superfluid nature.
  • Questions are posed regarding how hardness can be tested, particularly in relation to neutronium, highlighting the complexities of defining and measuring hardness in extreme conditions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the existence and practicality of neutronium, and there is no consensus on what constitutes hardness or how it can be measured in extreme materials.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes unresolved questions about the definitions of hardness and the conditions under which materials can be tested for hardness, particularly in relation to neutronium.

willstaruss22
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Im just curious if Humans have created anything harder than a diamond.
 
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Now the hardest thing nature has ever created (by nature I mean space) Is neutronium, if it exists
 
dbmorpher said:
Now the hardest thing nature has ever created (by nature I mean space) Is neutronium, if it exists

I don't think that's actually helpful, even if it does exist, because you can't DO anything with it. As I understand it, as soon as a small amount of was removed from a neutron star, it would separate explosively.
 
phinds said:
I don't think that's actually helpful, even if it does exist, because you can't DO anything with it. As I understand it, as soon as a small amount of was removed from a neutron star, it would separate explosively.

exactly
 
dbmorpher said:
Now the hardest thing nature has ever created (by nature I mean space) Is neutronium, if it exists


It isn't clear. Neutron star cores are superfluid, so they might not be hard at all. Intuition is not of much use.

The problem is that how would you test such hardness? If you tried to scratch it wish something else, that something would collapse into neutrons and be absorbed, I think. So what does hardness even mean?
 

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