That Time Someone Actually Achieved the Alchemists' Dream of Turning a Different Material Into Gold

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While it’s likely others had tried it before, the first surviving documented attempt of someone trying to turn something to gold in a (relatively) scientific fashion occurred around 300 AD. The proto-scientist in question was a Greco-Egyptian named Zosimos. During his lifetime, it’s thought that he wrote nearly thirty books about alchemy, but most of them have been lost to history.

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[digitalArtform]

At one quadrillion dollars an ounce, synthetic gold would be the most expensive substance on earth, surpassing even inkjet printer ink.

[joeleonetti]

I actually met Dr Seaborg in the early 1990s at a UCLA science social event that a friend of mine took me too. Had a nice chat with him. Nice gentleman.

[sebastianhilscher]

One must note that Yuri Oganessian, after which element 118 Oganesson was named [in 2016], is still alive and thus Seaborg was not in fact the only person who witnessed an element being named after him.

[anonymouscyclist]

Isn't that just the biggest flex in science, turning some other metal into gold for the simple reason because you can.

[casualverse]

"Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one and only truth."

am I cool yet

[boletarianbread]

The irony is that if there's an efficient way to turn lead into gold, gold immediately becomes pretty much worthless

[photonicpizza]

2:31 That is false, he is not the only one anymore. Element 118, Oganesson, was named after Yuri Oganessian in November 2016, who is still alive today.

[brandonjohnson]

I knew this man that was employed to a company that worked in Los Angeles area and he was sent to a building. It was a government building he said was for research with rooms and large sectioned off areas dedicated to different experiments. One was making gold from different elements and metals. This was also in the 70s I believe. He said nobody was rude and they were just regular people doing research development for the United States. He said that the gold wasn’t the coolest thing he seen there he said there were things he can’t really explain cause he didn’t know what they were doing but it looked crazy. This man is a construction superintendent and doesn’t really tell stories at all he’s pretty much known to be honest and legit, so I’m not sure if he was lying or not. He said there were men trying to make things levitate with different metals and stuff and low voltage. This was only part of the story he was telling me as he was making a point about the experience he had with the actual work he was performing on the building.

[theCodyReeder]

How can you assume we've neaver heard of Seaborg?!

[AftabLokhandwala]

I too can make lead into gold. I just need an equal amount by volume of Lead, Gold and a bunch of smoke screen, sleight of hand and a hidden compartment in a table.

[insertoyouroemail]

It's even more fascinating that we live in an age where we know how to make gold and don't think it's all that interesting. Even if we could in an efficient manner, we know gold would loose its value the same way aluminium did with the electrolysis process.

[JustinY.]

Did it involve sacrificing his mom and his arm?

[herrikudo]

The fact that some dude in a basic alchemy lab 1000+ years ago figured out that this was even remotely possible is nothing short of mindboggling. It may not have been possible for THEM to do at the time, but it was possible none the less. How the hell did they figure that shit out.

[markdavis]

You can certainly get silver from lead, but it’s just a byproduct of the refining process. I visited a lead refinery years ago and was shown the building where “13 tonnes of silver” was stored! Didn’t get to see inside though!

[promontorium]

I met Dr. Glenn Seaborg in Berkeley in the mid 90s. I had no idea who he was but my mother heard his name paged over an intercom, lost her shit and ran him down like he was a rock star. She poured over him with praise and then had us all take photos together. Then to explain who he was afterward she dragged me over to a periodic table and pointed to the various elements he helped discover. Then she continued screaming about having met him for the next 30 minutes and then periodically after that forever.

[Spills]

Here I am always think Alchemy was just a cool myth that some wasted their lives on...They actually were on the right path. Crazy.
Amazing men and women who have done so much for our species.

[Eltonbang]

As long as he left his daughter and dog out of his experiments, im happy.

[HerrBjork]

I believe a Russian nuclear plant also succeeded in creating gold, by having parts of the core's inner lining turn from lead to gold. The fact that it was so radioactive that you'd die on the spot by seeing it is another thing

[iancosgrove]

I love your podcast and wish I could binge more of it but there’s not enough yet! In the meantime I’m perfectly fine with binge watching your YouTube videos ! Thank you for all you do

[ericdeltoro]

I remember reading another article that talked about some scientists having made gold out of mercury but it was equally as economically unfeasible. But the point is that it is possible, jusy ruinously expensive!