By Griffin Armstrong

GOLD

CREATION (UNIVERSE)• Formed after the big bang.

• Made through nucleosynthesis and nuclear fusion.

• Dying stars would run out of energy and the outer layers would collapse.

• Atoms were fused through supernovas.

• The particles of gold would be thrown out into space.

• Formed with other denser materials to make new stars and asteroids.

CREATION (EARTH)• Hypothesis says that gold bearing asteroids hit Earth after its formation 200 million years

ago.

• Asteroids are believed to have supplied Earth with all of its gold.

• Gold doesn’t form naturally on the Earth.

• Nonrenewable and in short supply.

FASCINATION WITH GOLD• Humans have been intrigued by gold since the beginning of time.

• Even mentioned in religions.

• Shiny, malleable, non-corrosive, and lustrous.

• Used as currency.

• Put into a lot of things we use today.

• Used in structures and statues.

CULTURAL ASPECTS (KING MIDAS)• Well known Greek myth surrounding gold.

• Was given the power to turn anything he touched to gold because of Dionysus.

• Tested his ability, pleased it had worked.

• Later can’t eat because he turns his food to gold.

• Eventually turns his daughter into gold.

• Gets rid of his gift, but his daughter doesn’t return to normal.

• Demonstrated not only greed, but the lure of gold as well.

• Always has been fantasized in myths.

CULTURAL ASPECTS/HISTORY (EGYPT)• Gold represented the brilliance of the sun.

• It was seen as something with divine power.

• Pharaohs were buried with mounds of golden objects.

• They also consumed it for prolonged life.

• Gold could give a human power.

HISTORY (TRADE)• Revolutionized trade around the world.

• Connected the world through many different trade routes like the Trans Saharan Gold Trade.

• Helped not only with the trade of gold and the trade networks, but the exchange of ideas as well.

• Between the 7th and 14th centuries Salt improved the trade with gold because it was such a valued resource.

ECONOMICS• Advantages

• Backed the economies of the large trading countries.

• Easier trade and provided long term price stability.

• Paper money could be exchanged for gold.

• In the early 20th century most countries had the gold standard.

• Disadvantages

• Restricted economic growth.

• Gold is not abundant in all areas.

MODERN TECHNOLOGY• Used in the braking mechanisms and reducing the carbon dioxide emissions from the

exhaust in cars.

• In planes and spacecraft to reflect infrared radiation and used in parts of the engine.

• In ancient medicine in many different cultures to treat or heal a disease.

• Put into many medical processes like treating arthritis.

• Improves the efficiency in solar cells we use to create energy.

• Even improves the accuracy of pregnancy tests.

GOLDMEMBER

WORKS CITED•

King, Hobart. "The Many Uses of Gold." Uses of Gold in Industry, Medicine, Computers, Electronics, Jewelry . Geology.com, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.

•Nature. "Where Does All Earth's Gold Come From? Precious Metals the Result of Meteorite Bombardment, Rock Analysis Finds." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 09 Sept. 2011. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.

•“A Brief History of Gold.” Only Gold. www.onlygold.com/tutorialpages/historyfshtm. 27 February 2013

•“Technology.” World Gold Council. www.gold.org/technology/uses/electronics. 27 February 2013.

•Amadeo, Kimberly. "Gold and The Economy." About.com US Economy. Ehow, n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2013

•Beiver, Celeste. "Neutron Star Smash-ups May Forge Gold." NewScientist. Reed Business Information Ltd., 16 Sept. 2011. Web. 17 Mar. 2013. <http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20926-neutron-star-smashups-may-forge-gold.html>.

•Department of Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. "The Trans-Saharan Gold Trade (7th–14th century)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/gold/hd_gold.htm (October 2000)

WORKS CITED• Boddy-Evans, Alistair. "Trade Across the Sahara." About.com African History. About.com, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2013.

<http://africanhistory.about.com/od/kingdoms/ss/SaharaTradeRoutes.htm>.

•Boyle, Rebecca. "All the Gold We've Mined Came From Space, New Study Says." Popular Science. Bonnier Corporation, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2013. <http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-09/meteorites-gave-us-all-our-extractable-gold-new-study-says>.

•"A Brief History of Gold." OnlyGold. Georgia Sonora Inc., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2013. <http://www.onlygold.com/tutorialpages/historyfs.htm>.

•Cain, Fraser. "Neutron Star." Universe Today RSS. Universe Today, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2013. <http://www.universetoday.com/24219/what-is-a-neutron-star/>.

•Greg. "What Causes a Supernova Explosion?" Outer Space Universe. Outer Space Universe, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2013. <http://www.outerspaceuniverse.org/what-causes-supernova-explosion.html>.

•Wikipedia. "Gold Standard." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Apr. 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_standard>.

• Wikipedia. "Nucleosynthesis." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Apr. 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleosynthesis>.

WORKS CITED• Amadeo, Kimberly. "What Is the History of the Gold Standard?" About.com US Economy.

About.com, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013. <http://useconomy.about.com/od/monetarypolicy/p/gold_history.htm>.

•"World Gold Council." www.gold.org. World Gold Council, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013. <http://www.gold.org/technology/uses/>.

•"Golden Fleece." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 03 Oct. 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Fleece>.

•"Midas." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 03 July 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midas>.