Zapping plastic with a laser forged tiny diamonds
The result suggests diamonds could shower down within planets such as Neptune and Uranus
![illustration of a laser passing through a plastic bottle with an inset showing tiny nanodiamonds that also connects to the interior of a planet](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/090122_ec_nanodiamonds_feat.jpg?fit=1030%2C580&ssl=1)
Starting from the same type of plastic found in soda bottles, scientists created tiny nanodiamonds (illustrated in inset). Researchers zapped the plastic with a laser (green) and probed it with X-rays (red). The work suggests that diamonds may form within ice giant planets such as Uranus and Neptune (lower right).
HZDR/Blaurock