We Were Wrong About Gold's Origin

Summary

This script explores the allure and rarity of gold throughout human history, its properties, and its association with divinity across cultures. It delves into the scientific quest to understand gold's origins, from ancient beliefs to modern nuclear transmutation. The narrative culminates with the revelation that gold's abundance may be linked to rare neutron star mergers, as evidenced by the 2017 gravitational wave event GW170817, yet recent observations challenge this theory, leaving the mystery of gold's origin unresolved.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Gold has been a symbol of wealth and power throughout human history, valued for its rarity, durability, and unique properties.
• 🔍 Despite its importance, the origin of gold remains a mystery, with recent data suggesting we still don't fully understand where it comes from.
• 📈 Gold prices have reached record highs multiple times, reflecting its continued value and the influence of those who control its supply.
• 🌞 Ancient cultures often associated gold with the sun and divine creation, such as the Egyptians who believed it was derived from the sun god Ra.
• 🔮 The legend of King Midas and the pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone illustrate the historical fascination with gold and the transformation of other metals into it.
• 🧪 In 1970, scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory successfully transmuted an element into gold using nuclear transmutation, although the process was inefficient and costly.
• 🌐 Gold is abundant in the Earth's crust, with an estimated 35 million metric tons, but only a small fraction of this has been extracted by humans.
• 🌌 The formation of gold is thought to occur in violent astronomical events like supernovae and neutron star mergers, which scatter heavy elements across the universe.
• 🔬 The detection of gravitational waves from a neutron star merger in 2017 provided evidence that such events are responsible for a significant portion of gold production in the universe.
• ❓ Recent observations have cast doubt on the prevalence of neutron star mergers as the sole source of gold, suggesting that other processes or historical events may also contribute to its abundance.

Q & A

Why has gold been so significant throughout human history?

Gold has been significant due to its durability, malleability, resistance to corrosion, high conductivity, and its shiny appearance. It has also been associated with the sun and divine creation across many ancient cultures.

What are some ancient beliefs about the origin of gold?

Ancient Egyptians believed gold came from the flesh of the sun god, Ra, while the Incans thought it was the sweat of their sun god, Inti. In Greek mythology, King Midas could turn anything he touched into gold.

Why was the pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone so alluring to alchemists?

The Philosopher's Stone was believed to transmute base metals into gold or silver and grant immortality through an elixir of life, symbolizing the creation of wealth and eternal life.

How did scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory create gold in 1970?

Nuclear chemists Glenn Seaborg and Walt Loveland used a particle accelerator to bombard bismuth nuclei with high-energy carbon and neon atoms, knocking off protons and neutrons to transmute the element into gold.

How much gold is estimated to be in the Earth's crust, and how much has been extracted by humans?

The Earth's crust contains about 35 million metric tons of gold, with humans having extracted around 200,000 metric tons, roughly equivalent to over four Olympic-size swimming pools.

What is the role of stars in the creation of elements, including gold?

Stars are crucial in creating elements through nuclear fusion. They start by fusing hydrogen into helium and continue through more complex fusion processes, creating heavier elements up to iron in their cores.

How do supernovae contribute to the creation of heavy elements like gold?

Supernovae, particularly type 2 supernovae, can create heavier elements than iron through nucleosynthesis during the violent explosion that follows the core collapse of a star.

What is a neutron star, and how does it relate to gold production?

A neutron star is an ultra-dense object formed from the remnants of a supernova. It is believed that the merger of two neutron stars can create heavy elements like gold through rapid neutron capture.

What was the significance of the GW170817 gravitational wave event in understanding gold formation?

The GW170817 event, detected by LIGO and Virgo, was the first observed neutron star merger. It provided evidence that such mergers could produce heavy elements like gold, estimated to have produced around 10 times the mass of the Earth in gold.

What discrepancies have emerged since the 2017 neutron star merger event that challenge our understanding of gold's origin?

Subsequent observations have shown that neutron star mergers might not be as common as initially thought, and the second observed merger did not produce heavy elements, casting doubt on the theory that these events are the primary source of gold in the universe.

What are some alternative theories to explain the abundance of gold in the universe?

Alternative theories include the possibility that neutron star mergers were more frequent in the past, that type 2 supernovae produce more heavy elements than currently calculated, or that a slow neutron capture process in stars' late stages could produce heavy elements.