Economics: Scarcity -- Gold, Aluminum, and Pretend Paper Money

[Zlaxer]

Who's gonna win the World Series in 2119?

Don't know, but the outcome probably won't result in societal collapse.

[clubgop]

Who's gonna win the World Series in 2119?

Don't know, but the outcome probably won't result in societal collapse.

It might, if Cubs fans have to wait that long again.

[Montegriffo]

Solid gold electric cables would boost the performance of my solar power system.
Gold saucepans would be brilliant heat conductors.
Gold exhausts for my truck which would never rust.

Best of all it is really dense so would be great for trebuchet counterweights and projectiles.

Bring it on, I would love gold to be worth less than the the price of having it delivered to your home.

[brewster]

Solid gold electric cables would boost the performance of my solar power system.
Gold saucepans would be brilliant heat conductors.
Gold exhausts for my truck which would never rust.

It might solve some of the transmission problems for getting wind electricity from the plains to the cities. As for the kitchen, one of my favorite tiny scenes from the Horatio Hornblower books is when he's at a reception at the court of the Czar, and is served on gold plates. He thinks "the poor guy, probably has never gotten a hot meal in his life!"

I do wonder about the effect of increasing gold supply. Spain brought in gold and sliver for hundreds of years and it didn't seem to disrupt the economy of Europe, or do them any long term good for that matter. Vanished into a corrupt system, not unlike petrodollars in KSA.

[Martin Hash]

Gold bullets.

[Speaker to Animals]

Super cheap NASA-style solar panels.

[brewster]

Gold bullets.

Cmon, any self respecting 1%er is already loaded with those. Standard issue with the gold toilet.

[brewster]

Super cheap NASA-style solar panels.

I thought the gold made them 'space durable', not necessarily more efficient? Most electrical uses of gold are simply that, dependability due to non-oxidizing.

[Speaker to Animals]

Super cheap NASA-style solar panels.

I thought the gold made them 'space durable', not necessarily more efficient? Most electrical uses of gold are simply that, dependability due to non-oxidizing.

Gold is a great conductor and can be used to do a lot of weird electronic things where the voltage is very, very low. There are lots of applications, but because gold is expensive, you don't see it used much.

Gold would make freaking awesome solar panels, but the cost right now would be outrageous compared to what utility you could possibly get out of that. But if gold were the same price as tin.. sure.

[brewster]

Super cheap NASA-style solar panels.

I thought the gold made them 'space durable', not necessarily more efficient? Most electrical uses of gold are simply that, dependability due to non-oxidizing.

Gold is a great conductor and can be used to do a lot of weird electronic things where the voltage is very, very low. There are lots of applications, but because gold is expensive, you don't see it used much.

Gold would make freaking awesome solar panels, but the cost right now would be outrageous compared to what utility you could possibly get out of that. But if gold were the same price as tin.. sure.

But would it be more efficient, which is, um, the 'gold standard'?

According to this, its less conductive than copper.