A bug that makes Gold!

21st Century alchemy: The tiny bug that can turn common elements into 24 carat GOLD!

- Professors describe their work as 'neo-alchemy' and exhibit findings in the form of art-science installation now on display in Austria...

Read more: link [www.dailymail.co.uk]

Neo "alchemy"...

+1 (Neo)

It's also a cost prohibitive method, meaning it wouldn't be worth the gold it is manufacturing.

If they could do it cheaply, the price of gold would immediately drop. (Then what would Ron Paul do? )

"But the researchers’ success in creating gold raises questions about greed, economy and environmental impact, focusing on the ethics related to science and the engineering of nature."

Well scrooge I am always focused in the science and the engineering of nature...

+1 ((Neo)

A bug that makes Gold!

Is this what you are referring to?

> link [www.huffingtonpost.co.uk]

From the link: The team at Michigan State University say that they found the bacteria Cupriavidus metallidurans is able to take so-called liquid gold (gold chloride, a toxic chemical found in nature) and turn it into 24-karat gold.

The process has been named microbial alchemy - and that's exactly what it appears to be.

"Microbial alchemy is what we're doing - transforming gold from something that has no value into a solid, precious metal that's valuable," said Kazem Kashefi, assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics.

So why the doom and gloom?

Unfortunately for the world gold markets, it's not possible to reproduce the experiment on a larger scale because it isn't cost effective. As such while the researchers might be able to take toxins and turn them into gold, they'll still come out behind overall.

....

So it's no panacea for rocketing gold prices...

But the artist-scientist team still claim the installation still impact, because of its ability to "push scientific inquiry" in new directions.






Why?

It doesn't appear that the researchers were actually trying to "make" gold, but rather found a bacteria that does it. And, it doesn't make enough to be a cost effective source for gold.

> So no greed.

The bacteria cannot "produce" enough to make it a cost effective gold making project.

> So no effect on the economy.

Gold, especially in (apparently) such small quantities wouldn't be a hazard to the environment.

> So no environmental impact.

The article indicates that the scientists "found" the bacteria, as opposed to creating or genetically engineering it.

> So no ethics issue re "the engineering of nature".

And the researchers didn't create the gold, they found a bacteria that does it on a very small scale.

Why the doom and gloom?

You must be referring to the scrooge when you say doom and gloom!

Look, the scale of doing most things can always be improved with the proper technology...like some are also working in bugs that turn algae into oil, etc, etc...

+1 (Neo)

Me too, but also on the ones who try to twist it for their own purposes. (**cough**global warming**cough**). It's mandated by my philosophy that Truth is God. No amount of twisting can rationalize Truth into a lie....even if everybody "knows"--where everybody is all "intelligent" (liberal translation: "emote on a higher plane" ) people.

Come on scrooge, you are just a worthless landlord! Wake up!!!



Well, God = I AM...and that's the real TRUTH! Wake up scrooge!!!

+1 (Neo)

I am nowhere near rich (even by Oby's standard) nor a landlord. My passions are philosophy, politics and movies. And I don't claim to be God, I just define It.

So you were just LYING to us when you claimed it here that you primarily enjoyed to collect rent!?



Maybe you define it in your dreams and imagination, of course!

I wouldn't mind collecting it if I had the property to collect if from, but I don't and I don't know what you're talking about. You must be remembering a hypothetical situation, or El Tino collecting it, or something. He's the only one rich enough I know here.