Scientists can turn peanut butter into diamonds using extreme pressure.

In 2014, geophysicist Dan Frost and his team at the Bayerisches Geoinstitut in Germany conducted experiments to mimic the conditions of the Earth's lower mantle. They utilized a device called a multi-anvil press to subject carbon-rich materials to pressures up to 1.3 million pounds per square inch. This intense pressure, combined with temperatures exceeding 2,200 degrees Celsius, forces carbon atoms to bond into the dense lattice structure of a diamond.The researchers chose peanut butter because it is naturally high in carbon, though they noted that any organic material could theoretically work. During the transformation, the carbon must be stripped of its oxygen and hydrogen atoms. Because peanut butter contains a significant amount of hydrogen, the chemical reaction often releases energy violently, leading to small laboratory explosions that can ruin the sample.While the experiment was a success, it is not a viable method for commercial diamond production. It took several weeks for the equipment to produce a diamond only two or three millimeters wide. Furthermore, the resulting gems are often discolored or impure due to the presence of other organic compounds found in the food. This research primarily helps scientists understand how minerals behave deep within the Earth's interior.