We all know that gold—one of the most precious metals on Earth—is scare. However, the actual dearth of gold is surprising, as Jason Kottke points out:
The estimated total amount of gold mined by humans would fill a cube that’s only 25 meters [about 82 feet] on a side. Platinum is even more rare… all of the mined platinum in the world would [fit in a cube that is 6.3 meters (about 20 feet)].
National Geographic (via Seed) looks at the real (human) cost of gold.
No single element has tantalized and tormented the human imagination more than the shimmering metal known by the chemical symbol Au. For thousands of years the desire to possess gold has driven people to extremes, fueling wars and conquests, girding empires and currencies, leveling mountains and forests. Gold is not vital to human existence; it has, in fact, relatively few practical uses. Yet its chief virtues—its unusual density and malleability along with its imperishable shine—have made it one of the world’s most coveted commodities, a transcendent symbol of beauty, wealth, and immortality. […] Nearly every society through the ages has invested gold with an almost mythological power.
N.B. In terms of cost, gold is far from the most precious of metals; that honour goes to rhodium.
Comments
2 responses to “That Most Precious of Metals”
Every time I read your blog, my brain balloons a bit. Thanks for fueling my Internet addiction with info-injected allure. I’ll be reading this thing until my eyeballs go gooey.
Simon, that made my day. One of the funniest comments I’ve read in a long time.
I thank you.