A Silicon Valley startup, Marathon Fusion, is making some pretty bold claims: they say they’ve figured out how to turn mercury into gold using nuclear fusion. This isn’t some medieval alchemist’s dream; they’ve published a paper outlining their process.
Turning Mercury into Gold: The Science (Sort Of)
Their method involves using high-energy neutrons from a fusion reactor to zap mercury-198. This transforms it into mercury-197, which then decays into gold-197 over a few days. The company claims this process is not only possible but also scalable to a massive level. They even boast that it’s “economically irresistible, practically feasible, and massively scalable.”
A Gold Rush…Eventually?
The paper, which hasn’t been peer-reviewed yet, suggests this gold production could happen as a byproduct at nuclear power plants without affecting their energy output. They project a one-gigawatt fusion plant could churn out a whopping 5,000 kilograms of gold annually.
Who’s Behind This?
Marathon Fusion was co-founded by a former SpaceX engineer and a Breakthrough Energy Fellow. The company has already raised over $10.9 million in funding, with support from some pretty big names in the investment world.
A Word of Caution
It’s important to remember that this is still theoretical. The paper hasn’t been vetted by the scientific community, so take these claims with a grain of salt (or maybe a nugget of gold, if it all works out!). The potential for this technology is huge, but it’s definitely still in the early stages.