A meteorite from northwest Africa has yielded new mineral

[Chuckt]

A meteorite from northwest Africa has yielded one of the earliest minerals of the solar system.

Officially called krotite, the mineral had never been found in nature before, though it is a human-made constituent of some high-temperature concrete, according to study researcher Anthony Kampf, curator of Mineral Sciences at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

The mineral, a compound of calcium, aluminum and oxygen, needs temperatures of 2,732 degrees Fahrenheit (1,500 degrees Celsius) to form, supporting the idea that it was created as the solar nebula condensed and the planets, including Earth, were formed, the researchers say.

Now if they can just figure out how to make this stuff, you might find new uses like making buildings safer from fire. Though I'm not an expert, it might help prevent meltdowns in nuclear power plants like the ones in Japan that had a problem.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42937748/ns ... e-science/

[brad]

I very much question their theory of how it came to be. Basically due to the fact that the universe did not start out as a molten blob.