Alchemy

[flip]

There was a thread a few weeks ago, can't remeber which and it was pointed out that you could turn lead into gold through transmutation. Has anyone ever heard of anyone turning gold into mercury?

[Isaac]

Melted gold looks like more-curry.

[Avder]

I wonder how long it will be until we have the ability to add and remove single protons and neutrons from atoms and thus make all precious metals worthless.

[Top Gun]

We've been able to do that for a while now, depending on which elements you're talking about. It's just that no one would be mad enough to do it on a large scale, since it's so damn expensive and complicated.

[Avder]

I'm talking more like Star Trek replicator technology.

[flip]

I can't find anywhere we have been able to add a proton to anything, or if turning gold into mercury has even been attempted, but it's interesting if we can knock the numbers down, but cannot make them add up.

[Sergeant Thorne]

Didn't Da Vinci develop a machine for this? I guess it was later destroyed in an explosion...

[Krom]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation

[Alter-Fox]

Didn't Da Vinci develop a machine for this? I guess it was later destroyed in an explosion...

Maybe according to Dan Brown...

[flip]

I know what transmutation is , that doesn't answer the question.

In chemistry and physics, the atomic number (also known as the proton number) is the number of protons found in the nucleus of an atom and therefore identical to the charge number of the nucleus. It is conventionally represented by the symbol Z. The atomic number uniquely identifies a chemical element. In an atom of neutral charge, the atomic number is also equal to the number of electrons.

The atomic number, Z, should not be confused with the mass number, A, which is the number of nucleons, the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom. The number of neutrons, N, is known as the neutron number of the atom; thus, A = Z + N. Since protons and neutrons have approximately the same mass (and the mass of the electrons is negligible for many purposes), and the mass defect is usually very small compared to the mass, the atomic mass of an atom is roughly equal to A.

Atoms having the same atomic number Z but different neutron number N, and hence different atomic mass, are known as isotopes. Most naturally occurring elements exist as a mixture of isotopes, and the average atomic mass of this mixture determines the element's atomic weight.

I guess I'll take some time to figure this out. I understand the process of how uranium captures a neutron then beta decay's into neptunium. I guess what I'm unclear about is atomic number and mass number. Does causing the atom to capture a neutron also cause the number of proton's to change?

[Top Gun]

Not directly, but through the the process of beta decay, a neutron is converted into a proton and an electron, which adds one to the atomic number and basically "bumps up" the atom to the next element on the periodic table. If you have a nucleus that's unstable enough to undergo beta decay, it'll wind up moving up, at least temporarily; the new nucleus may also be unstable and undergo decay into another product. I don't really know enough about nuclear physics off the top of my head to know if there is some specific isotope of gold that undergoes beta decay, though.

[Burlyman]

I think making all precious metals 'worthless' would be good for humanity.

Melted gold looks like more-curry.

This is the answer right here. =P

I'm assuming you impudent humans know what the general idea behind 'alchemy' truly is until you insist otherwise. =P

[Alter-Fox]

I think making all precious metals 'worthless' would be good for humanity.

Likely. But I think people are the true magpies -- it wouldn't stop them from wanting the metalz of shininess.

[Sergeant Thorne]

I'm assuming you impudent humans know what the general idea behind 'alchemy' truly is until you insist otherwise. =P

Who doesn't?

[youtube]fhaotrCTgqo[/youtube]]

[roid]

Gold has technological value, it's in most electronics afaik.
It's also biologically compatible, thus gold teeth. An old neighbour once gave a story of his friend who made aluminium teeth for himself (more like a denture) and inevitably died of poisoning.
Gold's quite a useful metal.

gold jewellery is gauche, showy, bleh.
also scarcity based economies are annoying. etcetcrantrant.

how about this eh? eh? eh?
http://io9.com/5907849/this-guy-hand+fo ... -meteorite

[Sergeant Thorne]

That is so cool.

[Isaac]

how about this eh? eh? eh?
http://io9.com/5907849/this-guy-hand+fo ... -meteorite

Went to the original thread:
Found this comment: