this post was submitted on 27 Jul 2025
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179
Startup Claims Its Fusion Reactor Concept Can Turn Cheap Mercury Into Gold (gizmodo.com)
submitted 3 days ago by UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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Last week, Marathon Fusion, a San Francisco-based energy startup, submitted a preprint detailing an action plan for synthesizing gold particles via nuclear transmutation—essentially the process of turning one element into another by tweaking its nucleus. The paper, which has yet to undergo peer review, argues that the proposed system would offer a new revenue stream from all the new gold being produced, in addition to other economic and technological benefits.

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[–] kokesh@lemmy.world 10 points 3 days ago (6 children)

Why do we try to turn things into gold? The price of gold would collapse if we succeeded, so wouldn't it be completely pointless?

[–] Thedogdrinkscoffee@lemmy.ca 13 points 3 days ago (2 children)

I dunno. I would be cool with it if we stopped mining for Gold with all the environmental problems and found a way to profitably clean up the mercury from past gold mining and places like Grassy Narrows with extensive mercury poisoning.

[–] zaphod@sopuli.xyz 10 points 3 days ago

I would assume that this would lead to a rise in mercury mining instead of cleaning up Mercury contaminations, because that would probably be cheaper. And I don't think mercury mining is any less toxic than gold mining.

[–] kokesh@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

That would be great. But what I'm talking about is the collapse of the price of gold.

[–] Eximius@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

Since fiat currencies are not connected to gold... no problem?

[–] zaphod@sopuli.xyz 9 points 3 days ago

Who gives a shit about the gold price except for some idiots who think it has some inherent value beyond some applications in electronics.

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

What's wrong w/ collapsing the price of gold? Gold is super useful since it doesn't oxidize, so it's fantastic in electronics and space stuff. Making that cheaper would be awesome.

[–] kokesh@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

I want to sell my gold teeth 😐

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

If you have a monopoly on the process, then its the same as the DeBeers Diamond Cartel. You can keep the price up by limiting the sale and spending a ton of money on marketing.

[–] simsalabim@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

Besides the shift to mercury mining others have already listed, you really think that this process is cheaper than mining gold and also cleaner and safer at the same time?

[–] Tiger666@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 days ago

But what about alchemy?