[snip]
 >      A planet in a different star system, while it may have had a
 > similar history, was formed from a different cloud so the
 > elements will be in different ratios *plus* the isotope
 > occurances will be different.
 >      Any sample of a material will contain not only the base
 > atoms but isotopes of the elements as well.  So, if you take your
 > basic stainless steel ashtray and analyze it, you'll find iron
 > (carbon, chromium, et al) and isotopes of iron (and the others,
 > of course) consistant with their occurance in nature on the world
 > on which that ashtray was made.
So what you are saying is, even if the "alien ashtray" were made of
similar metals found here on earth, we could tell that it was
"unearthly" in origin?
Regards,
Jack
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