How Lasers Could Help Fingerprint Conflict Minerals

New submitter carmendrahl writes "Diamonds might get most of the media's attention, but they're not the only minerals being sold to underwrite militias. Two chemistry teams are developing portable instruments that can detect an elemental fingerprint in mineral ores, to verify that the samples don't come from militia-controlled mines. One technique uses laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (PDF), which vaporizes a small amount of an ore sample with a high-energy laser pulse, and detects elements in the sample by their characteristic light emission. The other technique couples the laser ablation to a mass measurement and a scanning electron microscope."

Bad label

[Anonymous Coward]

There are no conflict materials only conflict regions and conflict people. Solve that first. Stop vilifying rocks. Rocks don't kill people, people kill people.

JJ

Re:Bad label

[zippthorne]

Also, stop putting the stupid rocks up on a pedestal.

You shouldn't need to send $10k to some murderous dictator (and partly to an international cartel...) to obtain a sparkly white trinket for your betrothed in order to get married. Indeed, starting your marriage off on a foundation of market manipulation, child exploitation, murder and oppression seems like it would not be a sound beginning to lasting nuptials.