There's Gold In Them Thar Colliding Dead Stars - 10 Moons Worth
Wednesday, July 17, 2013 - 13:52
in Astronomy & Space
Why do we value gold? It's not strong, it's not pretty, it's rare but in the 21st century, given enough energy we can turn lead into gold, the way alchemists once only dreamed about. It's not just rare on Earth, it's rare in the universe, even though the universe has a fantastic amount of energy, it is a perpetual Philosopher's Stone. Yet even in the infinite universe creating gold is not trivial. Unlike elements such as carbon or iron, gold cannot be created within a star. Instead, it must be born in a more cataclysmic event, like one that was witnessed last month: a short gamma-ray burst. read more