X-Message-Number: 26307 Date: Wed, 08 Jun 2005 12:49:11 -0700 From: Olaf Henny <> Subject: Other alternatives to burial (Off topic) References: <> I found this article today at: http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,359567,00.html : Forget a Coffin -- Wear Grandma on Your Finger: Excerpt: "Basically, it works like this: First, the carbon inside human ashes is captured. Then, it is heated to temperatures so high it transforms into graphite. The graphite is then pressed into a diamond." The question I have is: could there possibly be enough carbon matter left after the intense heat of cremation to shape a diamond? Also in the other scheme: Excerpt: "There is also his latest brainchild: memorial fireworks that contain the ashes of a beloved relative in the rocket tip. The idea is that the bereaved could bid farewell to the departed in a stunning explosion of color. The technology, however, has proven dicey. The trick is to make sure all the human ashes disintegrate in the sparkle rather than getting dusted over rooftops or onto the faces of those mourning." Ashes are by definition non-combustible residue from fire. How can you possibly disintegrate them in a rocket, so that they would not hit the ground. Content-Type: text/html; [ AUTOMATICALLY SKIPPING HTML ENCODING! ] Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=26307