Potatoes are better than human blood for making space bricks, scientists say

Study is here: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/eng-2022-0390...

> Recently, corn starch was employed as a binder for inorganic aggregates such as sand and limestone powder. Termed CoRncrete, these materials displayed impressive compressive strengths as high as 30 MPa; however, moisture sensitivity remained a key weakness for practical Earth-based applications.

> Having extremely limited amounts of water, the issue of moisture sensitivity is irrelevant for the Lunar and Martian environments – meaning a CoRncrete-like material could be well-suited for extraterrestrial construction. Furthermore, since starch is the primary constituent of staple foods such as rice, potatoes, and maize (corn), any sustained off-world habitat will likely have the capability to produce starch as food for inhabitants. To mitigate risks such as crop failure or poor yields, a surplus of starch will likely be produced under ordinary conditions: the use of surplus starch as a binder for regolith would therefore avoid the need for additional construction material fabrication equipment and supporting infrastructure.

I think someone from the IgNobel award committee wrote that headline?

>> The blood and urine of astronauts, after all, are renewable resources, and they're available wherever an astronaut's mission might take them.

I think the blood takes a bit more time to renew? Or are they expecting, uh, a bit more sacrifice...

>> "Astronauts probably don't want to be living in houses made from scabs and urine," he said in a statement.

We already know how to use feces in making bricks; see the link. I participated in a construction project in Ecuador where cow dung was used in making mortar, so I know it can be done. Sure, feces can be used as fertilizer; both should be explored for use on the Moon and Mars.

https://www.sciencealert.com/using-biosolids-for-bricks-coul...

A SpaceX representative has done the math and while potatoes make better bricks, human blood is cheaper. So if you'd like to be part of Elons new Mars colony sign up for our mission at your local human grind^H^H^H.. gathering center!

I'm glad Elon's plans aren't totally ruined as the end of the article says the space bricks will in part be made of human tears.

This seems to be targeted at other planets, not space-space.

For space use I always wondered about how one could slice up nickel iron asteroids into 50x50x100cm blocks and then start building things out of those. Assuming you can do a clean cut the surface wouldn't oxidize so they should just contact weld back together.

Slicing process left as an exercise to the reader.

Related submission currently on the top of the front page:

CoRncrete: A corn starch based building material https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41752020 - Today (53 comments)

That's gotta be a huge relief for the redshirts on the first few Starships to Mars.

It is notable that human blood concrete was still found to be stronger than ordinary concrete.

Sometimes I fantasize about what lunar architecture might look like. Low gravity will enable architects to do pretty wild things. But with this material it may be even wilder.

Are thy trying for an ignoble prize? Because this is how you get an ignoble prize.

Mark Watney approves.

there were plans for extrusion spinning out vast orbiting fresnle lenses that could then be used to sinter,whatever/any planetary surface materials and presumably there is a way to automate most of the process of providing material and filling and emptying molds but hey potatoes gota be better than count brickula

What a headline.

That's CoRny...

I disagree