Last week, Marathon Fusion, a San Francisco-based energy startup, submitted a preprint detailing an action plan for synthesizing gold particles via nuclear transmutation—essentially the process of turning one element into another by tweaking its nucleus. The paper, which has yet to undergo peer review, argues that the proposed system would offer a new revenue stream from all the new gold being produced, in addition to other economic and technological benefits.

  • chirospasm@lemmy.ml
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    8 months ago

    It’s only irradiated gold if it comes from the Radioactive Startup Part of San Fransisco.

    Otherwise, it’s just sparkling rock.

    • elucubra@sopuli.xyz
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      8 months ago

      No, my friend. Gold is an incredibly useful material, often not used because of price, unlike diamonds, which are mostly useful for abrasion/cutting.

      • rottingleaf@lemmy.worldBanned
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        8 months ago

        Cheap gold could have a good effect on analog electronics, including the hobbyist kind.

        I’m sometimes thinking that not everything needs a computer. If it does, many things are fine with a MC.

        And not just analog electronics honestly, hobbyist computing in the ancient sense, of making hobbyist computers and using them, might have a small rebirth.

        And mass-produced electronics would too become a fair bit cheaper to produce if gold were more widely available. Longevity, reliability. Maybe touchscreens’ economical advantage over physical buttons would be reduced even.