Unobtanium in JC's Avatar

[Sigma-LS]

I was watching the extended trailer for Avatar where they show the piece of Unobtanium. It's a crystal of the mineral Galena (common lead ore PbS). After I saw it I searched around the internet and some other folks have recognized it as such as well but I didn't find a thread of it on here.

So if anyone wants a nice prop before the movie comes out, this one is easy as pie and cheap as dirt.

I love the irony in antigravity lead.:lol

Here's some photos to compare.

The Trailer

The Mineral (This specimen is less beat-up than the one in the trailer)

 

[Risu]

Do they actually call it unobtanium in the movie? It seems like it would be unwise to rip off one of the most notoriously bad movies of the last decade.

 

[AnubisGuard]

^Yeah, they do. But the term predates The Core by several decades.

 

[Beagle Bill]

I've got a chunk of that my dad brought me back from a trip when I was a little kid! My science teacher told me it was zinc, guess that shows what he knew, lol. :rolleyes

Beagle Bill

 

[PredHunter]

I was watching the extended trailer for Avatar where they show the piece of Unobtanium. It's a crystal of the mineral Galena (common lead ore PbS). After I saw it I searched around the internet and some other folks have recognized it as such as well but I didn't find a thread of it on here.

So if anyone wants a nice prop before the movie comes out, this one is easy as pie and cheap as dirt.

I love the irony in antigravity lead.:lol

Here's some photos to compare.

The Trailer

The Mineral (This specimen is less beat-up than the one in the trailer)

I used to have a piece of that same exact rock (or mineral)......my dorky cousin who was a rock collector got me some of that same rock years ago....i wish i kept it....it would have made a great piece to have on the office desk now!!!!!

 

[Risu]

^Yeah, they do. But the term predates The Core by several decades.

Ah, nevermind then. I also now have slightly more respect for The Core, as the silliness of that term has always been one of the best examples of how bad the movie was. Despite that, I still enjoy watching it from time to time. Now I don't have to feel so bad about that. :lol

 

[Contec]

Do they actually call it unobtanium in the movie? It seems like it would be unwise to rip off one of the most notoriously bad movies of the last decade.

Dont say anything bad about that movie its one of my favorites movies.:love

"You want me to hack the planet? He wants me to hack the planet... Ok, *if* I decide to do this, I'll need an unlimited supply of Xena tapes and Hotpockets. "
:thumbsup

 

[Risu]

As I said, I love that movie, too. That doesn't stop it from being so bad. :cool

 

[jackdoud]

Cool, I've got a chunk of that sitting around somewhere as well. :cool

 

[Jayn]

I have one too! I didn't know what it was! Thanks for the heads up..
WOoT! new prop!!:thumbsup

 

[Nobby]

looks a little like Iron Pyrites

 

[Apollo]

I likes me some cheap and easy props! :lol

Thanks for the heads-up!! :thumbsup

 

[Sigma-LS]

Glad a few folks already have it. I've also dug a few pieces of it out of my old rock collection.

For anyone else curious in picking up some, ebay and local rock shows are a good bet on getting a nice specimen cheap.

 

[Sidewalker]

I have some Galena too. It's one of the coolest looking minerals IMO.

 

[wackychimp]

So now that the mineral is identified... how do you make it float?

 

[Sith_241]

I love how they use Unobtanium, which is a huge engineering joke.

You could make it float if it was a superconducting magnet

 

[nimitzbrood]

(First time poster.)

Just FYI there's a piece on E-Bay right now that is extremely photogenic:

As for floating it galena has no magnetic properties whatsoever however you could in theory cut it in half, hollow it out, and insert a neodymium magnet and maybe float it then using the standard magnetic hanging method.

Provided you could cut it finely enough which would take either a laser or a wire-EDM unit.

 

[MooCriket]

Thanks for the tip to make it "float". Just an fyi though, no posting live auctions for future reference.

 

[Prop Collector]

I was wondering why Giovani had a piece worth several million just sitting on his desk.

 

[nimitzbrood]

Thanks for the tip to make it "float". Just an fyi though, no posting live auctions for future reference.

Yeah I remembered that when a mod gave me a nudge. My bad.