Could Fusion Power Plants Become Gold Mines Too

The Alchemist’s Dream Revisited

Ever wondered if the ancient quest for turning base metals into gold could ever become reality again Venture into the world of modern alchemy as Marathon Fusion unveils its plan to use nuclear fusion reactors to transform mercury into gold and produce clean energy simultaneously

How Their Transmutation Process Works

Marathon Fusion’s approach injects mercury-198 into the reactor’s breeding blanket where high-energy neutrons from deuterium-tritium fusion bombard mercury atoms to form unstable mercury-197 This isotope naturally decays over days into stable gold-197 enabling a power plant to generate thousands of kilograms of gold per gigawatt-year without disrupting electricity production

Korean Netizens React

On Korean Naver and Tistory blogs readers are buzzing with excitement over the prospect of gold-producing power plants while many remain cautious blog comments reveal a blend of hopeful exclamations that this could revolutionize fusion economics alongside skeptical voices urging more experimental evidence before celebrating

Challenges and What Comes Next

Despite the bold claim the technology remains at the preprint stage and awaits peer review Challenges include achieving fusion breakeven mastering precise neutron control and managing radioactive byproducts such as short-lived gold isotopes which must be stored safely for years Future milestones will hinge on securing experimental data funding and public oversight before this modern alchemy can move from dream to demonstration