Gold is considered a safe-haven asset. Its value remains stable over time, making it a preferred investment during uncertain economic conditions.
Scientists have created gold from lead in a lab setting, raising questions about gold’s future and its status as a naturally limited resource.
This experiment was carried out at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, located near Geneva, Switzerland.
Researchers used the Large Hadron Collider, where they typically observe collisions between high-energy particles like lead ions.
In this experiment, lead ions passed very close to each other without colliding, creating strong electromagnetic fields.
These fields triggered photon emissions. When photons interacted with the nuclei of atoms, neutrons and protons were ejected.
The removal of three protons changed the atomic number from 82 to 79, effectively converting lead atoms into gold atoms.
This process is called nuclear transmutation. It occurs when a nucleus changes in a way that produces a different element or isotope.
Scientists reported that around 89,000 gold nuclei can be created per second during lead ion collisions at the LHC.
Despite this, producing usable quantities of gold remains impractical due to high energy costs and complex processes involved.
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