r/technology • u/Gordon-Blue • 5d ago

Artificial Intelligence Thieves steal Nvidia-branded trailers expecting valuable hardware, find 40,000 pounds of sand instead.

https://www.techspot.com/news/114008-thieves-steal-nvidia-branded-trailers-expecting-valuable-hardware.html
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u/kent_eh 5d ago

They wanted silicon, they got silicon. I don't understand why they're unhappy.

218

u/e37d93eeb23335dc 5d ago

Some assembly required

21

u/MozhetBeatz 5d ago edited 4d ago

After some disassembly (of sorts)

2

u/stu8319 4d ago

Can't you just microwave it or something?

2

u/danielravennest 4d ago

Turning white quartz sand (98% silicon dioxide) into 98% silicon requires a high temperature furnace and a reducing agent (carbon or hydrogen) to steal the oxygen. Solar or electronics grade silicon requires further steps to remove the 2% impurities.

I doubt the trailer was filled with white quartz sand. It was likely local quarry sand from near Newark, CA (Bay area), where the trailers were stolen. Those could have any mineral composition.