From: andrew.gray@dunelm.org.uk   
      
   On 2005-06-16, Mike Combs   
    wrote:   
   >   
   >> Of course, by this point precious metals would not be so precious.   
   >   
   > I've heard one argument that in a SPS world, there would be a lot more   
   > electric cars on the highway.  Thus, markedly increased manufacture of fuel   
   > cells would serve to bolster the platinum market in such a way that a vastly   
   > increased supply would not cause the bottom to fall out.   
      
   Hmm. Let's say we have All The Platinum Man Could Ever Desire in orbit,   
   which is a not-unreasonable first approximation to the short-term   
   effects of a couple of asteroids. [Handwave] It's down to the price of   
   silver, which is about two orders of magnitude in reduction.   
      
   What industrial applications are there for cheap platinum? It's pretty   
   wear-resistant, but somewhat toxic when alloyed.   
      
   --   
   -Andrew Gray   
    andrew.gray@dunelm.org.uk   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)