Knowledge

Did CERN create gold from lead?

Yes, but do not think of the alchemist’s dream – This was not about riches. In May of 2025, scientists at CERN confirmed it.

When beams of lead ions are fired at nearly the speed of light, some do not collide head-on – they pass close. The electromagnetic force of this near-miss is strong enough to rip three protons from a lead nucleus – What remains, for a moment, is a nucleus of gold.

This is not a path to wealth.

The amount of gold created is tiny — measured in pico grams. It exists for only a fraction of a second before it is destroyed. The cost is astronomical – It is a thing proven possible by physics, a byproduct of the real work. It is a fact, but a useless one for a man wanting gold.

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