Gold is only valuable because it appeals to the chimpanzee part of our brains that like shiny things. Chemically, gold is one of the least interesting elements on the periodic table. It makes a fine conductor, but a tiny bit goes and long way and based on industrial demand would probably be worth only a few hundred dollars an ounce. I’d rather have a stash of palladium and iridium any day.
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jj
And the other lesson is that science is wonderful.
Gold is only valuable because it appeals to the chimpanzee part of our brains that like shiny things. Chemically, gold is one of the least interesting elements on the periodic table. It makes a fine conductor, but a tiny bit goes and long way and based on industrial demand would probably be worth only a few hundred dollars an ounce. I’d rather have a stash of palladium and iridium any day.