 | In Response To: Re: Lava in the Marathon (the Battle Cat)
I vote for molten metal. If you've ever seen molten lava (easy to do if you visit Hawaii), you'll notice how quickly it cools. Molten lava doesn't stay molten very long. The reason is that is't composed primarily of silica, which has a low heat capacity and is naturally insulating. Lava exposed to air usually forms a grayish crust very quickly and, because it is an excellent insulator, heat from the molten material underneath doesn't reach the surface. Most metals, however, have a fairly high heat capacity and will not solidify so quickly. Indeed, liquid sodium (a metal in its elemental state) is sometimes used as an engine coolant or a heat transfer medium in place of water, but this can only be done in a closed system, as it is volatile and reacts violently with oxygen. Other molten metals, however, are fairly stable when exposed to air and could serve as an excellent coolant or heat transfer medium provided heat-resistant containers and pipes could be fabricated - a liklihood at the time of the construction of the Marathon. Because engines are more efficient when they run at higher temperatures, molten metal actually makes sense as a replacement for water in interplanetary space vehicles. So there may be no reason to apologize for Bungie after all.
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