Kiln or Furnace

Well, who knows if anyone still reads this blog, it has been a long time since I posted anything here. My mother-in-laws death and my wife's pregnancy which happened as near simultaneously as these things can has vastly reduced time available for the expansion of thought.

Anyway, I was reading an article in a magazine - nature or something like that where they discussed finding a huge impact crater in Africa, by high-altitude imaging and locating pieces of quartz.

In that article it discussed that at 1600 degrees silicon turns in to quartz (not the point of the article, I know - the point of the article was that it was the largest impact crater ever found, once it was realized what it was).

So, now I am curious - if anyone can answer the question - how can I make something to produce 1600 degrees and melt silicon in to quartz?

The other question I have is interesting. If the quartz created in Africa was from a vast impact, why is there (or was there) so much quartz in cape may (sometimes known as cape may diamond)?

Death

I'm going to be writing an article on Death - but I never seem to be able to finish it.

My mother-in-law died on Christmas day - very suddenly - and this leads my thoughts to travel to thoughts about death.

So, I haven't written much on my blog or on the Useless-knowledge website. In fact, I've written nothing.

Hopefully, I'll be able to come up with some content sometime. The reality is that either in work, after work hobbies or other activities - I've been having trouble concentrating and completing my tasks. I have lots of things to write articles about - but I keep returning to my article on death, which I can't seem to finish.

In the beginning, this blog was written so my son would have resources about me - other than the spoken word by others, about who I am and things like that.

Well, I can say somethings to tell him about himself of the past when he reads this in the future.

Of the grandparents, your Grandmother on your mother's side was the one you were closest to - and she played with you and seemed ready to watch you at a moments notice whenever we needed her help. Seemingly swollowed up in to a black hole at our house and foregoing making dinner for your grandfather and other things to watch you or sometimes just to help us with you.

More about this I suspect will show up in my article - which - who knows - perhaps no one will read. It seemed though that she was happiest when she spent time with you, my son.

Alex