We made sand think: this phrase is used from time to time to evoke the parÂticÂuÂlar techÂnoÂlogÂiÂcal wonÂders of our age, espeÂcialÂly since artiÂfiÂcial intelÂliÂgence seems to be back on the slate of posÂsiÂbilÂiÂties. While there would be no SilÂiÂcon ValÂley withÂout silÂiÂca sand, semiÂconÂducÂtors are hardÂly the first marÂvel humanÂiÂty has forged out of that kind of mateÂrÂiÂal. ConÂsidÂer the three milÂlenÂnia of hisÂtoÂry behind the traÂdiÂtionÂal JapanÂese sword, long known even outÂside the JapanÂese lanÂguage as the katana (litÂerÂalÂly “one-sided blade”) — or, more to the point of the VerÂiÂtaÂsiÂum video above, the 1,200 years in which such weapons have been made out of steel. How JapanÂese MasÂters Turn Sand Into Swords
In explainÂing the sciÂence of the katana, VerÂiÂtaÂsiÂum host Derek Muller begins more than two and a half bilÂlion years ago, when EarthÂ’s oceans were “rich with disÂsolved iron.” But then, cyanobacÂteÂria startÂed phoÂtoÂsynÂtheÂsizÂing that iron and creÂatÂing oxyÂgen as a by-prodÂuct. This process dropped layÂers of iron onto the sea floor, which evenÂtuÂalÂly hardÂened into layÂers of sedÂiÂmenÂtaÂry rock.
With few such forÂmaÂtions of its own, the geoÂlogÂiÂcalÂly volÂcanic Japan actuÂalÂly came late to steel, importÂing it long before it could manÂage domesÂtic proÂducÂtion using the iron oxide that accuÂmuÂlatÂed in its rivers, recovÂered as “iron sand.”
By that time, iron swords would no longer cut it, as it were, but the addiÂtion of charÂcoal in the heatÂing process could proÂduce the “incredÂiÂbly strong alloy” of steel. CerÂtain JapanÂese swordÂsmiths have conÂtinÂued to use steel made with the more or less traÂdiÂtionÂal smeltÂing process you can see perÂformed in rurÂal ShiÂmane preÂfecÂture in the video. To the disÂapÂpointÂment of its proÂducÂer, Petr LebeÂdev, who parÂticÂiÂpates in the whole process, the foot-operÂatÂed belÂlows of yore have been elecÂtriÂfied, but he hardÂly seems disÂapÂpointÂed by his chance to take up a katana himÂself. He may have yet to attain the skill of a masÂter swordsÂman, but underÂstandÂing every sciÂenÂtifÂic detail of the weapon he wields must make slicÂing bamÂboo clean in half that much more satÂisÂfyÂing.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
A HypÂnotÂic Look at How JapanÂese SamuÂrai Swords Are Made
A VinÂtage Short Film about the SamuÂrai Sword, NarÂratÂed by George Takei (1969)
A DemonÂstraÂtion of PerÂfect SamuÂrai SwordsÂmanÂship
An OrigaÂmi SamuÂrai Made from a SinÂgle Sheet of Rice Paper, WithÂout Any CutÂting
Watch the OldÂest JapanÂese AniÂme Film, Jun’ichi KĹŤuchi’s The Dull Sword (1917)
How JapanÂese Things Are Made in 309 Videos: BamÂboo Tea Whisks, Hina Dolls, Steel Balls & More
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities and the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles. FolÂlow him on the social netÂwork forÂmerÂly known as TwitÂter at @colinmarshall.
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