Weird NewsBEAT THE ANCHOR

Diamonds are made of which element?

Per Wikipedia, diamond is a mineral form of carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic; the pencil graphite is the same element.

On air: Hank Ledger and Chip Darnell on Late Night BBN
Published 10:58 PM ET, Friday, October 16, 2026

At a glance

First reported by Wikipedia: “Diamonds are made of which element?”
Covered on BBN on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 10:58 PM ET on Late Night BBN, by Hank Ledger and Chip Darnell.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

WikipediaDiamonds are made of which element?

What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorBeat the Anchor. Chip Darnell, a man with no known qualifications, has agreed to answer one science question.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorDiamonds are made of which element? A, silicon. B, carbon. C, quartz. D, glass.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorOh, I know this one. It's glass. Shiny things are glass, everybody knows that!
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorChat, you're the judge. Chip has ten seconds, go.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorOkay, okay. I once dated someone who worked at a jewelry store, and they were always talking about carbon this, carbon that.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorAnd that stand has a big sign that says Carbon Neutral Pretzels. Carbon, carbon. That's the sign!
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorIf the pretzels are carbon, the diamonds next door are carbon. Final answer, B!
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe answer is B, carbon. Per Wikipedia, diamond is the same element as the graphite in your pencil, just arranged differently.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorI got it! The pretzel stand got it!
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorTwenty-eight years at this desk, and a pretzel sign just outscored me. It counts.