Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Real Kryptonite Isn't Green

Miners in Serbia discovered a mineral that, upon inspection by scientists, has almost the exact same composition as kryptonite, as described in the movie Superman Returns: a hydroxide of sodium lithium boron silicate.

The only problem: it isn't green and glowy. It's chalky white.

And they can't call it kryptonite, because it doesn't have any krypton in it. So they'll name it jadarite, after the region where it was found.

Can you imagine Superman cowering in fear from a pile of chalk dust? It doesn't quite have the same artistic oomph.

Apparently, the only difference is that the real rock doesn't have fluorine in it. Would adding fluorine make it green and glowy? And would it give humans weird superpowers?

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