Why does NASA use gold foil on equipment and gold-coated visors?

Re:Why does NASA use gold foil on equipment and gold-coated ... by lutusp on Thursday August 22, 2013 @07:56PM (#6260852)

> Is there not a way to synthesize gold, like how diamonds can be synthesized ...

Diamonds are a form of carbon, all you need is a different form of carbon and sufficient pressure. Gold is an element, and creating it requires a supernova. Were this not so, if gold could be synthesized, it wouldn't be selling for $1300/ounce.

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Re:Why does NASA use gold foil on equipment and gold-coated ... by saraid216 on Thursday August 22, 2013 @10:17PM (#6261329)

> if gold could be synthesized, it wouldn't be selling for $1300/ounce.

That's not by itself true. If gold could be synthesized for less than $1300/ounce, then it wouldn't be selling for $1300/ounce. As noted in sibling comments, it is possible to synthesize. It's just unreasonable to actually do so in any meaningful quantity.

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Re:Why does NASA use gold foil on equipment and gold-coated ... by lutusp on Thursday August 22, 2013 @11:05PM (#6261459)

Let me amend my original claim: "If gold could be synthesized with something other than a multi-billion-dollar accelerator and produce daily yields greater than nanograms ..."

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