Diamond Rain, Diamond Planet and Asexuality

No, this isn’t going to be a post how diamonds are a girl’s best friend. That’s my position. Anyhoo, diamonds are one of a scientist’s friends, considering that diamond planets and diamond rain is possible. Sounds questionable, I know, though there is sound reasoning for these suggestions.

   First I’ll start with diamond rain. It is thought to rain diamonds on Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus. As I have a limited understanding of meteorology and chemistry, I cannot disrepute this, though it seems rather reasonable. Even if it doesn’t happen, it’s a nice thought! Anyway, the reasoning. Lightning storms are thought to turn methane into soot, which is a form of carbon. As the soot falls, just like when it rains water it is because the clouds are made of water, the pressure increases so the soot hardens into graphite and then diamond. It is then thought that the diamond melts into a liquid at the planet’s core.

   So next is the diamond planet. Sounds delightful. It was found somewhere in the universe. The surface of this planet is said to be graphite, and it is surrounded by a thick layer of diamond, so that the land masses and mountains are diamonds. It is theorised that it has graphite and diamond instead of water and granite. For some unexplained reason, this planet would lack water; if temperatures were high, liquid on the surface would be carbon-rich compounds, such as tar.

Asexuality is a term to describe people who don’t experience sexual attraction. Other kinds of attraction can be felt, such as aesthetic, non-sexual physical and romantic, which is the need to be intimate with someone. So, as other kinds of attraction can be felt, an asexual may identify themselves as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, demisexual (sexual attraction develops when the primary source of attraction, such as aesthetic/romantic, is fulfilled) and anything else, though it isn’t unheard of for an asexual to feel no attraction whatsoever.

   A widely held view that is a mistake is that asexual people are repulsed by sex. Some can be, true, though sexually inclined people can also be repulsed by sex. Asexuality is just that there is no drive for procreation. This is similar to the drive for nourishment and hydration. One analogy is drinking water. Drinking water is pleasant at any time, though if one desires a drink, such as out of dehydration, the levels of satisfaction are greatly increased. In the same way, when sexually inclined people desire sex, the orgasm fulfils the primal urge and thus the levels of satisfaction are very high; an asexual, on the other hand, will orgasm and it will be simply pleasant because it does not fulfil that desire.

   There are many reasons why an asexual would have sex. They may want to have a child, express their love for their partner, and even as a hobby. Sex, as a pleasurable activity, can be considered a hobby, because other hobbies, such as reading, watching films, playing sports and gardening, are pleasurable without fulfilling any urge or primal desire. Perhaps the most important factor in an asexual wanting sex is the want for intimacy. Holding hands, stroking and cuddling are a few of the intimate ways a partner can show their compassion and devotion to their other half, though sex can be much more intimate and an asexual may have sex for this reason.

So that's all for now.