Transform lead into gold? It seems like the realization of the alchemists' dream, but the reality is far less glamorous. Between 2015 and 2018, at CERN, scientists actually managed to convert lead atoms into gold.
But hold on, it's not what it seems. About 86 billion gold nuclei were produced, but do you know how much that represents? A glorious total of 29 picograms, or 0.000000000029 grams.
And before anyone rushes to sell their jewelry, these atoms existed for fractions of a second before disintegrating.
Let's be frank: the energy cost to generate these atoms is astronomical, making the process more expensive than gold itself. Comparing this to lab-grown diamonds is a joke. While synthetic diamonds are economically viable and identical to natural ones, “lab gold” is so fleeting that it disappears before you can even blink.
In summary, saying that gold is threatened by this “discovery” is the same as claiming that the Titanic sank because a glass of water fell on the deck.
The gold market remains strong and steady, while lab gold continues to be a scientific feat with no practical application. So, you can relax — your investments in gold are not going to evaporate because of a few ephemeral atoms.
