Blacksheep

Here's one for you anthropologists and wanna-be's and armchair detectives:

As far back in our history that we can find, gold has been the single most precious metal to humanity. In the very first written words we find reference to gold as the Metal of the Gods. Gold was revered way back in Stone Age times.

The problem I have with this is that gold was also the single most useless metal in stone age cultures outside of lead, which is equally useful as a fishing weight, although a small rock performed pretty much as well.

Gold is too soft to make knives or projectile points and too heavy to use as personal decoration unless you pounded it really thin, and then it was too fragile for that rough life. Gold was useless. Copper is far more useful and copper was prized, but it was never lusted after, not like gold. Not even silver, which is a very useful and durable metal compared to gold.

So. Why does it seem to be virtually instinctual in humans to lust for gold? Gold did eventually become used for trade but only because everyone universally revered it. Why is this?

An odd fact you might factor in, is that gold is extremely rare in the Universe. Only planets that have formed out of the gasses left over from the explosion of a supernova star, one that has t***smuted the elements in its core all the way down the periodic chart to gold, have gold.

archie bunker Loc: Texas

The answer is bacause it is pretty. I guess. Don't know for sure.
Your odd fact is questionable. Has it been proven? If so, how?

Blacksheep

Yes. It has. Google it first before saying it's "questionable", or are you too lazy to do that? Check first, then you know whether to agree or refute.

People on OPP are in the habit of arguing first and checking the facts afterward, and it really does get irritating. I don't say things unless I have verified them for myself FIRST and I don't appreciate an insinuation that I'm lying or talking out of my ass.

"because it's pretty I guess". That's a real contribution. Thanks for the deep thought on the subject.

saveamerica Loc: Texas

Sure would like a truck load.

archie bunker Loc: Texas

Read this muttonhead.
It disagree http://m.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/origin-of-gold-found-in-rare-neutron-star-collisions/2013/07/17/a158bd46-eef2-11e2-bed3-b9b6fe264871_story.html s with your assertion.

Blacksheep

Oh look who got off his butt! Yeah, that's interesting. The super-nova theory was popular a while back but it looks like there's a new one. Science marches on. But that's not the point, is it? The point is that gold is in fact rare in the Universe. Or do you want to argue that one too? Muttonhead?

"For many years, scientists had theorized that the heavy elements of the periodic table, such as gold, platinum, lead and uranium, had their origin in supernova explosions." From the same article as yours, but you didn't want to mention that, eh? You're a jerk. Go away.

archie bunker Loc: Texas

You stated a "fact." I don't discount science, but..how can it be proven looking at something millions of miles away through a telescope?
Go ahead and be mad. I don't care. I just have questions about what "theories are considered fact anymore.
Can any of this be physically proven or is it just theory?

MrEd Loc: Georgia

Science is all theory. They think they know the answers, but that is from theories, not facts.

Blacksheep

"Go ahead and be mad. I don't care." Um, how old are you?

The rest of that statement is called digressing, in this case for the purpose of covering up your embarrassment over being caught.
You saw that part about the novas, and instead of leaving things alone like you should have, you tried to attack me. To me, that's being a jerk. I was right based on what was thought at the time by people who know a lot more than either of us. That I thought it was a fact rather than a theory has NOTHING to do with the topic at hand, you just chose to make a gratuitous attack on me instead of making some sort of contribution to the discussion.

You're a jerk. Go away.

bmac32 Loc: West Florida

No, he's still on his butt unlike you.

Gold as a lot of uses just like silver.

http://geology.com/minerals/gold/uses-of-gold.shtml
http://geology.com/articles/uses-of-silver/

Now long along and play.

archie bunker Loc: Texas

No I didn't digress, and I didn't "attack" you. I am not embarassed a bit because you haven't a leg to stand on here. Show me physical proof to support your assertion. Maybe then I'll go away.

Blacksheep

What assertion do you want physical proof for? That gold is rare? Seriously? And yeah, you did, you are, and you suck.

Archie Bunker was a sitcom character who was a total r****t asshole. Nice choice.

..... one more for the Ignore List.........

Blacksheep

Long along? How do you do that? Yes, gold has a lot of uses TODAY. But the question is why was it revered back in the stone age when it had no use at all? Any ideas or comments on that? I'm really curious about it and I didn't pose the question just to catch silly crap from some hostile sniper. I think it's really odd that we seem to have such a built in attraction to yellow metal.

bmac32 Loc: West Florida

Do you remember the 'Stone Age'? I sure as hell don't and they had little use for gold like electricity out of the sky.

archie bunker Loc: Texas

SCORE!!!!