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Alchemy

Shadow

Scholar
S
Joined
Jan 30, 2006
Messages
86
Am I off by asking if transmuting lead into gold counts as paranormal? Everyone else is like "look at me I can read your mind", but what about alchemy? Just asking cause it doesn't seem paranormal just impossible. If does apply I'll do it. No really...how many people say that?
 
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Actually it IS possible to turn lead into gold. From memory the procedure is to shoot protons or neutrons or something at lead and it will turn into gold. Only problem is that it is cheaper to buy gold.
 
Shadow said:
Am I off by asking if transmuting lead into gold counts as paranormal? Everyone else is like "look at me I can read your mind", but what about alchemy? Just asking cause it doesn't seem paranormal just impossible. If does apply I'll do it. No really...how many people say that?
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Could the JREF pay them in lead bars rather than bullion?
 
Ya, theres multiple ways. When a nuclear reactor in moscow was inspected the lead walling had been coated in thin layer of gold.
 
Doesn't this beg the obvious question? If Shadow can easily and cheaply produce gold, why is he bothering with a pify million dollar challenge? Produce a stack of gold , buy a string of islands in the Pacific and enjoy.

Shadow, am I missing something here?

Not to criticize. Would like to see this either way
 
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nutbag said:
Doesn't this bed the obvious question? If Shadow can easily and cheaply produce gold, why is he bothering with a pify million dollar challenge? Produce a stack of gold , buy a string of islands in the Pacific and enjoy.

Shadow, am I missing something here?

Not to criticize. Would like to see this either way
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Ya...maybe because a nuclear reactor costs alot more than the gold it will produce. The time it takes to make the gold is major factor too as it takes years. However if a nuclear reactor was loaned out through a grant program and I produced gold then it would be profitable to have the million dollars.
 
Shadow said:
Ya...maybe because a nuclear reactor costs alot more than the gold it will produce. The time it takes to make the gold is major factor too as it takes years. However if a nuclear reactor was loaned out through a grant program and I produced gold then it would be profitable to have the million dollars.
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I see. I jumped to the conculsion that we were talking about something other than established science.

My bad
 
Shadow said:
Am I off by asking if transmuting lead into gold counts as paranormal?
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It would depend upon the process you used.

Putting it in a nuclear reactor and looking for traces of gold wouldn't, since that's part of established science.

Doing it by traditional alchemical means -- you know, boiling it under the sign of Saturn and then adding powdered mercury -- would certainly count. Expect this point to be discussed at length during your Challenge negotiations.

Similarly, being able to tell if someone was a man or a woman by looking at them wouldn't count. Being able to tell if someone was a man or a woman by handling a sealed letter they had written almost certainly would.
 
drkitten said:
It would depend upon the process you used.

Putting it in a nuclear reactor and looking for traces of gold wouldn't, since that's part of established science.

Doing it by traditional alchemical means -- you know, boiling it under the sign of Saturn and then adding powdered mercury -- would certainly count. Expect this point to be discussed at length during your Challenge negotiations.
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Don't forget the sulfur!

drkitten said:
Similarly, being able to tell if someone was a man or a woman by looking at them wouldn't count.
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In some places I know, you almost need to be psychic to tell the difference.
 
Transmutting gold with any type of chemical reaction would be a new form of energy. Chemical reactions do not have enough energy to change the nucleus of an atom. Chemistry is really about the movement of electrons.

Therefore, Alchemy just can't do it. So I would say it would qualify, but it isn't possible. There was another thread about a "philosophers stone" with a link to a really woo-woo website. Don't have time to find it, but I posted the methods to tranmutate elements--it is not easy unless you have a reactor or an accelerator handy. As indicated, it would not be profitable.

glenn:boxedin:
 
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