Redstone is a remarkable mineral that can not only transmit electricity just like any metal, but can also act as an power source to provide its own energy. And while this spectacular material could have the potential to change humanity as we know it, it only exists it the game world of Minecraft, where it has the power to propel mining carts on treacherous rails which wind through the Minecraft landscape, speeding past zombies, creepers and an assortment of barnyard animals.
Redstone is found deep inside subterranean caves, most often near large pools of lava. It can be extracted from its rocky surroundings using standard mining tools, with the pickaxe being most efficient. When crafted into a torch, it can provide some light, but is better used to power a redstone circuit. The redstone torch acts much like a battery, sending power through redstone wires, which are created when placing redstone directly on to a flat surface. Although a stable enery source, a redstone torch is not particularly powerful, and therefore redstone repeaters need to be used as a power booster when building a larger circuit.
Redstone can be used to power many devices in Minecraft that will make a day in the life of a player just a bit easier and more pleasant. You can automate your home with a well planned arrangement of redstone and pressure plates. More importantly, you can use it to set traps, and secure yourself from marauding mobs, such as spiders, zombies, and creepers. Redstone is so versatile, that if you happen to be an electrical engineer, you can create real-world logic gates inside of minecraft to build devices such as calculators.
