4 ms·
Not theoretical, just temporary. And they are not truly achieving the alchemists' dream of transmutation, just changing the behavior of the material. It sounds
by mordechai9000 6y ago
Not theoretical, just temporary. And they are not truly achieving the alchemists' dream of transmutation, just changing the behavior of the material.
It sounds like practical applications are still more or less theoretical, though.
- danenania 6y ago"And they are not truly achieving the alchemists' dream of transmutation, just changing the behavior of the material." Is there really a difference? Isn't the name we give a material essentially just a shorthand for describing a pattern of behavior that its constituent particles are (mostly) adhering to?
- mrkstu 6y agoThe difference being if you stop the pulses the changed behavior would also stop. Transmutation would be permanent.
- jjoonathan 6y agoSpeaking of which, did Seaborg collect any of the gold atoms he transmuted? Obviously it wouldn't be enough to see, but I imagine that some university museum has a little vial with a chunk of detector in it with a little plate explaining that there are a few million transmuted gold atoms stuck to its surface, or something.