The New Alchemy - Gold

Discussion in 'Science and Technology' started by Dryson, Sep 22, 2014.

  1. Robert Maxwell

    Robert Maxwell memelord Premium Member

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    Exactly what are you looking for here? Bacteria can extract gold from compounds containing gold. This is about as simple as logic gets. What, do you think this is magic? I don't know what point you are trying to make.
     
  2. Jedi_Master

    Jedi_Master Admiral Admiral

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    This was a neat article about the theoretical process of turning lead into gold. It is ridiculously impractical but still cool.

    Link
     
  3. Robert Maxwell

    Robert Maxwell memelord Premium Member

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    Ha! Before I even clicked, I thought "I bet with a particle acceleration and lots of time and dedication, you could do it." Sure enough, particle accelerator.

    Hilariously impractical, as you said.
     
  4. Awesome Possum

    Awesome Possum Moddin' Admiral

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    I have a process of extracting salt from salt water. It's a complicated process, but all I need is time itself.
     
  5. YellowSubmarine

    YellowSubmarine Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Salt from water? That's really weak, you could extract potent and dangerous hydrogen fuel from any water. Turning water into fuel is probably a much more elusive historical holy grail than lead into gold, and yet it's... what Saturn V flew with.

    "One day we'll turn water into fuel and use it to fly to the moon." Tell that to any alchemist and they'd tell you you'd been smoking your own alchemical preparations.
     
  6. Metryq

    Metryq Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    At least you said "water." If you'd said "hydrogen," the alchemist would have asked, "What's a hydrogen?" Although a similar line did appear in DESTINATION MOON (1950). Joe, the "average man in the street" for audiences, is one of the contractors building the rocket, and he comments to his bosses:

    Anyone interested in the pre-chemistry history of alchemy might enjoy The 13th Element: The Sordid Tale of Murder, Fire, and Phosphorus.
     
  7. publiusr

    publiusr Admiral Admiral

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    Don't use lead--use mercury and put it into a reactor.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthesis_of_precious_metals

    Such transmutation is possible in particle accelerators or nuclear reactors, although the production cost is currently many times the market price of gold.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthesis_of_precious_metals#Gold_synthesis_in_a_nuclear_reactor
    http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=207593
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation

    Now, if security is low (Ha!) I suppose some goober who works in a reactor might try some home cooking...but Vic Mignogna's transmutation circles won't cut it.
     
  8. YellowSubmarine

    YellowSubmarine Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Mercury? It just doesn't have that ring to it.
     
  9. publiusr

    publiusr Admiral Admiral

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    If we ever have an antimatter engine, carbon shielding will turn into valuable if radioactive elements on the way to one's destination, if memory serves.
     
  10. Australis

    Australis Writer - Australis Admiral

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    Yeah, I'm not seeing it.

    1, it's getting gold from gold.

    2, it's not alchemy, which creates gold from base metals.

    3, it's just straight science. It is, in this day and age, nothing special.
     
  11. Kemaiku

    Kemaiku Admiral Admiral

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    Considering I did a smaller scale version of this experiment with Ferrocene (iron compound) at university, as part of the standard UK course, 10 years ago...yeah.