Photograph by Wesley Elsberry.
Pyrite, or iron pyrite -- fool's gold.
21 Comments
Mike Elzinga · 9 May 2011
What is the scale we are looking at, Wes?
Just Bob · 9 May 2011
Look at that clear, simple DESIGN. And yet it wasn't designed. Or do the drive-by trolls maintain that it was, along with every other crystal in the universe?
Just Bob said:
Look at that clear, simple DESIGN. And yet it wasn't designed. Or do the drive-by trolls maintain that it was, along with every other crystal in the universe?
.. and if you explain that apparent design like this is the result of natural chemical and atomic behaviour, you get "ah, but who determined the behaviour?"
As Lucy van Pelt says, "hopeless... completely hopeless."
What's funny is that such a simple shape actually looks far more like actual design than do almost all features of life. That's because it appears to be rationally composed, while it's obvious that life reproduces sans rationality, and its features appear, well, evolved, not rationally designed.
But hey, the IDiots can point out that their "explanatory filter" won't catch a pyrite cube as designed. This is because pyrite is known not to be designed. Of course, by the same token we can say the same of life, they just won't allow that it actually wasn't designed--since the "explanatory filter" only has always existed only to confuse life with designed objects, not to honestly distinguish between design and evolution.
Mike Elzinga said:
What is the scale we are looking at, Wes?
The pyrite cube is about 19mm on each side. It does come from a mine in Spain.
It was quite a pain to light so that any surface texture could be seen at all on the cube.
Mike Elzinga · 11 May 2011
Wesley R. Elsberry said:
Mike Elzinga said:
What is the scale we are looking at, Wes?
The pyrite cube is about 19mm on each side. It does come from a mine in Spain.
It was quite a pain to light so that any surface texture could be seen at all on the cube.
Nice job getting the different colors on the different faces.
Did you use any polarizing filters on the lighting or on the camera?
Mike Elzinga said:
What is the scale we are looking at, Wes?
The pyrite cube is about 19mm on each side. It does come from a mine in Spain.
It was quite a pain to light so that any surface texture could be seen at all on the cube.
Nice job getting the different colors on the different faces.
Did you use any polarizing filters on the lighting or on the camera?
Nope, no filters were involved. I wanted reflections exaggerated. The lights were of different color temperatures, though.
Mike Elzinga · 12 May 2011
Wesley R. Elsberry said:
Nope, no filters were involved. I wanted reflections exaggerated. The lights were of different color temperatures, though.
Ah, the higher color temperature on the left, the lower color temperature on the right.
It’s a really nice effect. When I first saw it, I was startled at how 3-dimensional it looked. The cube actually seems to float above the substrate below. That is really hard to do in a 2-D photograph.
Mike Elzinga · 12 May 2011
Mike Elzinga said:
Wesley R. Elsberry said:
Nope, no filters were involved. I wanted reflections exaggerated. The lights were of different color temperatures, though.
Ah, the higher color temperature on the left, the lower color temperature on the right.
It’s a really nice effect. When I first saw it, I was startled at how 3-dimensional it looked. The cube actually seems to float above the substrate below. That is really hard to do in a 2-D photograph.
I just tried out a pair of those red/blue glasses for viewing 3-D photos; and it actually seems to enhance the 3-D effect.
I ended up choosing a ucc ssl certificate after my third domain needed security. The break-even seemed to be at somewhere between 2 and 3 domain. SSL certs are pretty much commodity items now, so I'd recommend shopping by price. Wikipedia has a good comparison of ssl certificate providers.
21 Comments
Mike Elzinga · 9 May 2011
What is the scale we are looking at, Wes?
Just Bob · 9 May 2011
Look at that clear, simple DESIGN. And yet it wasn't designed. Or do the drive-by trolls maintain that it was, along with every other crystal in the universe?
The Curmudgeon · 9 May 2011
It's the Time Cube!
fnxtr · 9 May 2011
Glen Davidson · 9 May 2011
What's funny is that such a simple shape actually looks far more like actual design than do almost all features of life. That's because it appears to be rationally composed, while it's obvious that life reproduces sans rationality, and its features appear, well, evolved, not rationally designed.
But hey, the IDiots can point out that their "explanatory filter" won't catch a pyrite cube as designed. This is because pyrite is known not to be designed. Of course, by the same token we can say the same of life, they just won't allow that it actually wasn't designed--since the "explanatory filter" only has always existed only to confuse life with designed objects, not to honestly distinguish between design and evolution.
Glen Davidson
Stanton · 9 May 2011
The crystal looks suspiciously like galena, if you ask me.
Glen Davidson · 9 May 2011
It's a Spanish pyrite, isn't it?
Glen Davidson
Paul Burnett · 10 May 2011
Wheels · 10 May 2011
Mike Elzinga · 10 May 2011
Old Ari · 10 May 2011
How was it used to start a fire?
D. P. Robin · 10 May 2011
Deklane · 10 May 2011
I can't believe how nearly perfectly straight the edges are. Guess it's a case of straighten up and pyrite.
Wesley R. Elsberry · 11 May 2011
Mike Elzinga · 11 May 2011
Wesley R. Elsberry · 12 May 2011
Mike Elzinga · 12 May 2011
Mike Elzinga · 12 May 2011
Lula Raviele · 5 June 2011
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Henry J · 5 June 2011
I wonder if it's time to close this thread?
Tess Feiler · 10 June 2011
I ended up choosing a ucc ssl certificate after my third domain needed security. The break-even seemed to be at somewhere between 2 and 3 domain. SSL certs are pretty much commodity items now, so I'd recommend shopping by price. Wikipedia has a good comparison of ssl certificate providers.