cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/46892723
An organic heat shield for spacecraft then.
this post was submitted on 16 May 2026
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It does and doesn't. The outer layer of the durian, yeah that's gone. Dense biomass presents a unique scenario though. Where steel is homogeneous, and conducts heat very well, cells are "hollow" and contain a lot of carbon. Water vaporizes. Proteins vaporize. Carbon burns off. Slightly deeper: water vaporizes. But there's no oxygen here. The burning biomass outside is consuming it and dumping carbon dioxide as it goes. What happens when carbon heats without oxygen? It purifies. Down to pure carbon. 3,630C to melt it away. What's more, it's not solid carbon. All that water and protein is long gone, but now it's empty space. Insulation. It's impressive how much biomass blocks heat.
Time matters. Long enough, the outer layers start to burn away. Oxygen moves deeper, carbon burns, not melts. That layer burns off. Oxygen moves deeper. You didn't need 3000C. But you need time and air flow. If you're trying to see who between a mass of steel or an equal biomass gives up first, the steel will fail every time.
also, Leidenfrost effect
This is like, the fifteenth time I’ve seen that word in the last two days, after learning it two days ago. Baader–Meinhof.
Is that…durian charcoal?
Has anyone here eaten durian? Is it more tolerable than the stories say?
Smells like sewerage (which is why they're banned in most hotels, planes, transit and enclosed spaces where they're common), tastes like a fancy dessert. It's a complex flavour that's honestly unique, and they don't all taste the same - various sub-varieties exist.
To me the most consistent flavour of them is a very creamy mild honeydew-melon and vanilla flavour, with a dash of banana. Very pleasantly floral and generally quite sweet.
Given that description you'd think I'd love them but I actually can't stand the smell and look (bro the fruit flesh looks like yellow turds), I've only ever eaten them under duress haha.
Smells bad, tastes good!
Just extrapolating, I’m guessing starchy and umami?
I'm bad at describing flavours but like a sweet/vanilla/pear custard that reeks a bit in the good/bad way stinky tofu smells?
I also would throw in a bit of sweet onion flavour or something like that
I've only had it once or twice. It kind of resembles a mango and a banana mixed in flavor. Maybe like 75% mango and 25% banana. I was quite fond of it, but unfortunately the stickiness afterwards was quite unpleasant and never came off no matter how much I washed.
This makes it sound like a durian smoothie would be great, but also I don't think I could handle the smell.
Jet fuel can’t melt Durian fruit.