Diamonds Can Be Made from Peanut Butter

The journey from a simple sandwich spread to the world's hardest substance is a testament to the transformative power of chemistry. At its core, the process relies on a shared element: carbon. All organic life, including the peanuts in peanut butter, is carbon-based. Scientists aiming to replicate the intense conditions deep within the Earth discovered that the carbon present in everyday peanut butter could be used as a raw material for one of nature's most prized creations.

The experiment involved squeezing a tiny amount of peanut butter between the tips of two diamonds, subjecting it to immense force. This created pressures over a million times greater than Earth's atmosphere, mimicking the environment of the planet's lower mantle. Under this incredible stress, the disorganized carbon atoms within the peanut butter are forced to abandon their original bonds. They then re-form into the famously strong, tightly packed crystalline lattice that defines a diamond. The hydrogen atoms originally present in the peanut butter are squeezed out during this process.

While this experiment successfully produced microscopic diamonds, its purpose was never to create a new source of jewelry. Rather, it was designed to help geophysicists understand the complex processes occurring hundreds of miles below our feet. By using a common, carbon-rich substance, researchers gained invaluable insight into how elements behave and transform under planetary pressures, helping to solve the mysteries of our own world's formation.