I'm on a bit of a science kick today, so I thought I'd share this article on the origins of gold from NPR's All Things Considered discussion with Neil deGrasse Tyson, Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Natural History. Dr. Tyson is the peoples' Stephen Hawking. The shorthand explanation: gold atoms, rare and dense (nearly twice as dense as iron), are formed during the explosion of supernovae (dying planets) out there in the universe. They sit around in space for eons, after which time they may or may not become part of a gaseous cloud, a precursor to planet formation. If they become part of a planet, some of the gold atoms may end up near the surface where we can dig them up and make them into jewelry. Tyson estimates that the journey from supernova to ring, necklace or hoop earring takes about 3 million light years. How insignificant do you feel now?(thanks, mom)
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