Re: How often can an item be encased and reduced to size of original item?

Dear Natasha,

The density of something is a fundamental property of that item. For example, the density 
of lead is 11.3 grams per cubic centimeter. You can't compress it beyond that, nor can you 
stretch it out so the density is less. So... the density of lead is always the same. Why? 
Because the nucleus of each lead atom is surrounded by 82 electrons. All electrons have a 
charge, and things with the same charge, in this case negative, repel. That means that the 
electrons in one lead atom are repeling the electrons in the lead atoms all around it. So.... 
that means that any force that you or I could apply, even with the help of the largest press 
on the planet, to this fishing weight wouldn't change the density.

However! there are some stars in our galaxy that are called neutron stars. Why do I mention 
them? Because at the end of the normal lifetime of these stars, they collapsed so such a 
small radius-- and have such a high mass-- that the force of gravity is enough to compress 
the star into a soup of neutrons. This soup, or plasma, is even denser than lead or any other 
substance scientists have yet discovered. It's so dense that a mere teaspoon of it weighs 
more than an aircraft carrier.

Alas, we don't have the ability to make anything that dense.... yet!