3 ms·
> It has been trivial since the 1980’s to produce gold alchemically, when Nobel laureate Glenn Seaborg (also of Seaborgium fame) used a particle accelerator to
by lesuorac 1y ago
> It has been trivial since the 1980’s to produce gold alchemically, when Nobel laureate Glenn Seaborg (also of Seaborgium fame) used a particle accelerator to transmute bismuth into gold.
Not sure it's literally snake oil.
But also investing ~7M into a bunch of credentialed individuals to continue experiments with fusion energy seems to be a fine decision. In the past you'd need to explain how fusion energy will help diverse communities power their homes. Now you just have to explain how fusion energy will create the presidents favorite substance.
- tw04 1y agoWhen it costs several hundred million dollars to produce gold that is measured in protons and neutrons it is functionally snake oil. The fact you can technically create gold from smashing particles together is completely irrelevant to the money being spent here. > the collision-induced reactions had removed anywhere from six to 15 neutrons, producing a range of gold isotopes from gold 190 (79 protons and 111 neutrons) to gold 199 (79 protons, 120 neutrons)
- godelski 1y ago> When it costs several hundred million dollars We're talking about $7M, not $700M