A company in San Francisco aims to manufacture gold in large quantities through a process that involves altering atoms during nuclear fusion. This initiative could potentially generate revenue to help fund the development of nuclear fusion as an energy source. The fascination with transmutation, reminiscent of historical alchemical pursuits, has roots dating back two millennia, with medieval alchemists striving for the Philosopher's Stone. Although scientists have successfully created gold in laboratories, doing so profitably has remained out of reach due to prohibitive costs.
Last month, a small company in San Francisco announced a plan to manufacture tons of gold by tweaking atoms superheated during nuclear fusion, serving as a side hustle to offset fusion costs.
For over two millennia, the promise of alchemy and transmuting elements into valuable ones has intrigued scientists. Medieval alchemists sought the elusive Philosopher's Stone.
Physicists in the early 1900s demonstrated that changing elements could be achieved by altering the number of protons in atomic nuclei, making the transformation scientifically possible.
Researchers have produced gold in laboratories over the past 50 years, but only at atomic scales. Glenn Seaborg turned bismuth into gold, but the costs were exorbitant.
Collection
[
|
...
]