Carbon Goes Deep

The attics of many homes contain dusty mementos of life gone by, boxes of seasonal decorations, and spare furniture. The attic in the Research Building at Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C., is like that, too. Except that tucked far back in the corner, past the Christmas decorations, the old equipment, and the boxes marked “historic lab items,” is a laboratory. Inside the small room, Dionysis I. Foustoukos cranks down on a wrench half as big as he is, attempting to unscrew a plug from the end of a large, blue cylindrical device. Although it might not be obvious at first glance, the research scientist points out, the apparatus’ housing is modeled on old cannons from Navy battleships. Such a heavy-duty structure, Fou­stoukos explains, is necessary for the high-pressure, high-temperature experiments he and others at Carnegie conduct within the device’s walls. The researchers use the internally heated pressure vessel, ...