Submitted via IRC for takyon
How to melt gold at room temperature | Chalmers
When the tension rises, unexpected things can happen – not least when it comes to gold atoms. Researchers from, among others, Chalmers University of Technology, have now managed, for the first time, to make the surface of a gold object melt at room temperature.
Ludvig de Knoop, from Chalmers' Department of Physics, placed a small piece of gold in an electron microscope. Observing it at the highest level of magnification and increasing the electric field step-by-step to extremely high levels, he was interested to see how it influenced the gold atoms. It was when he studied the atoms in the recordings from the microscope, that he saw something exciting. The surface layers of gold had actually melted – at room temperature.
"I was really stunned by the discovery. This is an extraordinary phenomenon, and it gives us new, foundational knowledge of gold," says Ludvig de Knoop.
(Score: 2) by suburbanitemediocrity on Thursday November 29 2018, @10:59PM (2 children)
Tell that to Momba (the Wicked Witch of the West).
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Friday November 30 2018, @03:31AM (1 child)
Under the circumstances I think she can be forgiven confusing the two.
It also seem rather likely that magic was involved in the process, in which case the normal laws of physics may have been disrupted and all bets are off.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 30 2018, @12:49PM
I am willing to test this by throwing cold water on people unexpectedly. Think of the benefits to society if politicians, creeps, and the mother-in-law all start melting!