Is it possible to transform other metals into gold?
In a groundbreaking development, scientists have managed to transform certain ordinary metals into gold through a process known as nuclear transmutation. This method, which involves changes in the atomic nucleus rather than chemical reactions, is fundamentally different from the alchemical ideas of the past.
Recent advancements suggest that using fusion reactors to produce high-energy neutrons could transmute mercury isotopes into gold isotopes. An engineering startup called Marathon Fusion has proposed this method, where neutrons generated in fusion reactions are used to bombard the isotope mercury-198. This process transforms mercury-198 into mercury-197, a radioactive isotope that decays naturally over a few days into stable gold-197, the naturally occurring form of gold.
However, it's important to note that this method is not currently profitable due to practical and economic constraints. Nuclear transmutation requires highly specialized and energy-intensive equipment, such as fusion reactors or particle accelerators, which are extremely costly to operate. Moreover, the amount of gold produced is very low relative to the energy and material inputs needed.
The startup's work is still under peer review, and no commercial-scale or economically viable gold production from mercury or other metals via nuclear transmutation has been achieved or demonstrated yet.
The concept of transmuting metals into gold originated in ancient Greece with philosopher Zosimos of Panopolis. In medieval Europe, the focus was on achieving this process for practical reasons, such as gaining riches. However, modern science during the 17th and 18th centuries gradually discredited these ideas, and alchemy was abandoned in favor of chemistry and physics.
Nevertheless, researchers continue to explore this fascinating field. At particle accelerators around the world, teams are reporting the production of gold as a by-product from their experiments. The first successful transmutation of another metal into gold was reported in 1941 by Harvard scientists.
In summary, while modern nuclear physics makes it scientifically possible to transmute certain metals into gold, the process is highly complex, energy-intensive, and not economically practical at this time. The idea of transmuting metals to gold was generally consistent with theories of matter and transformation during the time, but modern science has moved beyond such theories.
References: [1] Marathon Fusion: Transmutation of Mercury to Gold (2021) [2] Kalweit, A., et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 112501 (2013) [3] Seaborg, G., et al., Science 227, 1210 (1985) [4] Alchemy: A Brief History (2018) [5] The History of Alchemy (2015)
- The endeavor by Marathon Fusion to use fusion reactors for the transmutation of mercury into gold, resulting in gold-197, highlights the intersection of science, technology, and medical-conditions (radioactive isotopes) in modern research.
- Despite recent advancements in nuclear transmutation, the production of gold from mercury or other metals remains unprofitable due to the complexity, energy requirements, and high costs associated with the necessary equipment, underscoring the discord between the concept's historical allure and its practical application (economic constraints).
