[dukhsan] Star Platinum

[dukhsan]

An alloy (mixture) of platinum and another metal played a peculiar but powerful role worldwide. What was it?

As far as I can tell, most of the properties of these two metals are completely irrelevant to solving this one - chemical reactivity, for one thing, is not involved. PM any early guesses.

[Zanreo]

Played - as in USED to but isn't used for/like this anymore? If so, because it was replaced by something better?

Used in a certain industry? For a certain object?

[invisiblemimsy]

Used in jewellery-making? Health uses? War? Was it expensive? Was the greater proportion platinum, or the other metal? Were either of the components something you might associate with stars? Could either of the two metals be replaced with another and still have similar uses, properties or effects? Relevant when the alloy was first used? Are there other ingredients besides the two metals, e.g. water? How about other things which are used in the process but don't form part of the final alloy? Would it be helpful for us to find out other uses for this alloy apart from the one in the puzzle statement?

[dukhsan]

Played - as in USED to but isn't used for/like this anymore? Yes. If so, because it was replaced by something better? Yes.

Used in a certain industry? It had relevance for multiple industries. For a certain object? Yes.

Used in jewellery-making? Health uses? War? Not directly. Was it expensive? Possibly, but seems to be irrelevant. Was the greater proportion platinum, or the other metal? Platinum. Were either of the components something you might associate with stars? No, just a reference in the title. Could either of the two metals be replaced with another and still have similar uses, properties or effects? Replacing a component would have a net effect, most likely a negative one. Relevant when the alloy was first used? This replaced something else, but the year itself doesn't seem to matter. Are there other ingredients besides the two metals, e.g. water? No. How about other things which are used in the process but don't form part of the final alloy? Once the process is done, not much matters besides any finished product(s). Would it be helpful for us to find out other uses for this alloy apart from the one in the puzzle statement? This does not seem productive.

[Zanreo]

The object - a tool? An accessory(as in something you wear)? Something it wouldn't be unusual to keep in your house?

[dukhsan]

The object - a tool? Yes.
An accessory(as in something you wear)? Something it wouldn't be unusual to keep in your house? It is not found in an ordinary home.

[invisiblemimsy]

Is it relevant that platinum is a particularly pure metal? A stable one? Would it be used as a weight or measure? Such as a reference point to tare a scale?

[dukhsan]

Is it relevant that platinum is a particularly pure metal? No. A stable one? Resisting tarnish/etc., likely yes. Would it be used as a weight or measure? Yes. Such as a reference point to tare a scale? Not for a scale.

[invisiblemimsy]

For scientific equipment?

The other metal - tin, iron, chrome, titanium, magnesium, zinc, iron, copper, silver, gold, mercury, aluminium, lithium, nickel, um... is thallium a metal? I know it's very poisonous, they use it as a murder weapon... lead? A radioactive one?

[dukhsan]

For scientific equipment? Not directly, but it'd offer something to scientists the same way it would for other fields.

The other metal - tin, iron, chrome, titanium, magnesium, zinc, iron, copper, silver, gold, mercury, aluminium, lithium, nickel, um... is thallium a metal? I know it's very poisonous, they use it as a murder weapon... lead? A radioactive one? Iridium - I'll assume you asked for each metal. (Thallium is one, and indeed was not that detectable as a poison for quite a while.)

[invisiblemimsy]

Some kind of telescope or observatory? Or reaction chamber? A health thing? An electronics thing?

[dukhsan]

Some kind of telescope or observatory? Or reaction chamber? A health thing? An electronics thing? None of these. Weight or measure from a prior post is very much on the right track - it had one function with far-reaching benefits.

[invisiblemimsy]

Is it something to do with weight then? You said not for a scale - weight for something else? To compare something? Is it important why they chose this particular alloy rather than a different one e.g. copper/tin? Due to its weight, reactivity, something else?

[dukhsan]

Is it something to do with weight then? You said not for a scale - weight for something else? I can narrow down a bit - it's for measuring something, but not a mass or weight... To compare something? Yes. Is it important why they chose this particular alloy rather than a different one e.g. copper/tin? Due to its weight, reactivity, something else? Yes - I believe its hardness and resistance to tarnish/damage are important.

[invisiblemimsy]

Distance? Length, height?

[dukhsan]

Distance? Length, height? Could be used for all of these.

[invisiblemimsy]

Is it used as a constant, if that's the right word? Like, if they make a yardstick out of the PI alloy, and they say, "this is the one yard to rule them all" and all the other yards have to be compared against it? And because the PI is really hard and can't be damaged, it lasts a long time. Whereas if they made a yardstick out of wood, or cheese or something, obviously it'd be useless as a constant. ?

[dukhsan]

Is it used as a constant, if that's the right word? Like, if they make a yardstick out of the PI alloy, and they say, "this is the one yard to rule them all" and all the other yards have to be compared against it? And because the PI is really hard and can't be damaged, it lasts a long time. Whereas if they made a yardstick out of wood, or cheese or something, obviously it'd be useless as a constant. ? All 100% correct - you got it!

*********SPOILER*********

Between 1889 and 1960, a small quantity of durable bars made of platinum-iridium alloy were used as standards, carefully calibrated to be one meter or extremely close to it, and handed out worldwide with their exact length given for use in calibrating various nations' definitions of the meter. Since 1960, we have also measured the meter as a certain number of wavelengths of a certain frequency of light, and currently define it as about one 300-millionth of the distance light moves in one second.

(Star Platinum: The World is the name of a supernatural power in the Japanese series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.)

Thanks for playing!

[invisiblemimsy]

Luvvly jubbly!

Could the 'One Ring' have been made of something like this, so it could last as long as it did (magic aside)? Is there an alloy which is even harder than PI?

[dukhsan]

I have to imagine the material was chosen, at the time, for hardness and lack of brittleness - it was also sort of an X shape when you look down the bar lengthwise, to minimize some kinds of strain over time and/or when it was actively used.

No telling what the One Ring would've wrought if it was made of a modern, highly engineered alloy...

[invisiblemimsy]

I have to imagine the material was chosen, at the time, for hardness and lack of brittleness - it was also sort of an X shape when you look down the bar lengthwise, to minimize some kinds of strain over time and/or when it was actively used.

Very interesting

No telling what the One Ring would've wrought if it was made of a modern, highly engineered alloy...