NBC Learn’s “Science of Innovation” Series: Washington Diamonds makes it onto the big screen!

Washington Diamonds stands at the forefront of a fantastic new technology, but being here every day its easy to forget how exciting the work we do is!

So it was great to have a reminder of how far we’ve come, when our CTO and head of Washington Diamonds operations Yarden Tsach spoke at the presentation of NBC Learn’s new video series: “Science of Innovation” on Monday.

Mr. Tasch spoke alongside Russell Hemley, director of Geophysical Laboratory at Carnegie Institution, and NBC’s Senior Producer Mark Miano to explain to an audience on Capitol Hill what it is that we do here at Washington Diamonds, and just how much we’ve achieved with Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) technology.

The discussion was part of a wider presentation of NBC Learn’s latest 11 part series looking at innovation in technology, so we felt right at home; having learnt to create diamonds from scratch we definitely know all about innovation!

Presented by NBC News’ Ann Curry, the series is the latest in a long-line born from a partnership between NBC Learn (the educational arm of NBC News) and the National Science Foundation.

Aside from the intriguing world of CVD diamonds, the 11 films examine innovations in 3D printing, bionic limbs, biofuels, self-driving cars (we can’t wait to see them!) and miniature electronic health monitors that can be worn on your skin like tattoos!

In order to explore these topics in depth, NBC Learn spoke to 14 scientists and engineers including (we’re proud to say!) Washington Diamonds and the Carnegie Institute.

The film we were involved in: “Science of Innovation: Synthetic Diamonds” gives a fantastic insight into the creation of CVD diamonds, and explores how they’re used in technology and their exciting future potential.

As the film explains, diamonds can do a lot more than just making your fingers look pretty!

Its definitely worth a watch so if you’re keen to get a better insight into the magic of CVD then you can see the film here.

As a reminder of how technology can change history, the event was timed to coincide with the 165th birthday of one of America’s greatest innovators — Thomas Edison. And yes, before you rack your brain too hard, he was the genius that invented the electric light bulb, amongst many other essential objects such as the phonograph (i.e. record player!) and motion picture camera. We’d have loved to have had him on our team!

But back to todays innovators, we’d like to say a big thank you both to NBC Learn and the Carnegie Institution for a fantastic event on Monday and a fascinating series of insightful films!
Now we’re off to find out when we’ll be able to sit back and let our car drive itself…

Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend

“He’s your guy when stocks are high but beware when they start to descend
It’s then that those louses go back to their spouses
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”

“Diamonds”, sang a silk clad Marilyn, slinking her way down a set of man-strewn steps “are a girls best friend.”

Unfortunately for most, best friends of the Marilyn variety have long been out of reach, but she might have saved herself the trouble of hunting down a stock-market playing ‘louse’ had she been around today. Technological advances have thrown us a gem of their own; the ability to create diamonds.

And now they no longer need to be painstakingly – and potentially blood-lettingly – mined, cleaned, cut, polished and shipped between a multitude of dealers. Additionally they are available at a significant 20 to 25% lower cost. Miss Monroe’s louse might not have needed to run back to his spouse following a stock market crash after all…

A little more scientific than Jack and the Beanstalk, but just as fantastical, Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD is the less tongue-twisting acronym) diamonds are grown from a ‘diamond seed’. Under specific laboratory created conditions, vaporized carbon atoms add to the seed one by one to create what can only be described as a perfect diamond.

In brief, science has enabled man to replicate the process by which diamonds are born underground, producing flawless gems, indistinguishable from those which are mined to both experts and diamond-lovers alike. Diamonds of the same cut, colour and quality, but without any of the ethical or environmental complications and at a significantly lower cost.

Who could possibly resist?

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