Here's How The World Actually Uses Gold
Gold is coveted by many
It's been used by dentists for 3,000 years
Gold has been used in dentistry for nearly 3,000 years. The first book published on dentistry, entitled Artzney Buchlein, appeared in 1530. The book suggests dentists fill cavities and rotten teeth with gold leaf.
Source: U.S. Global Investors
Gold is not toxic
Thousands of years later gold is still being used for fillings, crowns, bridges and orthodontic appliances. Gold is a bio-compatible metal, meaning it can be placed in contact with a person’s body and not cause harm to one’s health.
Source: U.S. Global Investors
Gold's a great conductor of electricity
Gold is a highly efficient conductor of electricity and is used in most electronic devices, including cell phones. Gold contained in connectors, switches and relay contacts allows phones to remain free of corrosion.
Source: U.S. Global Investors
You can find 50 cents worth of gold in every cell phone
According to the World Gold Council, a single mobile device contains up to 50 milligrams of gold. That’s a tiny amount but nearly 1 billion cell phones are produced each year. With a gold value of about 50 cents in each phone, that adds up to $500 million dollars in gold each year!
Source: U.S. Global Investors
Gold is found in most computers
Gold can also be found in most standard desktop and laptop computers. The precious metal is used in a CPU’s memory chip and motherboard, allowing parts of your computer to receive power and communicate with each other.
Source: U.S. Global Investors
It's great for rapidly transmitting data
Gold acts as a reliable conductor, allowing for the rapid and accurate transmission of digital data from one device to another. In fact, only silver and copper are better conductors of electricity.
Source: U.S. Global Investors
Gold has been used in medicine for 4,500 years
The earliest medical use of gold can be traced back to China in 2500 BC. Chinese physicians used pure gold to treat furuncles, smallpox, skin ulcers and to remove mercury from skin and flesh, says GoldBulletin.
Source: U.S. Global Investors
Nowadays, it's used to treat arthritis
Today the metal is primarily used to treat patients with arthritis. Gold salts are used to reduce swelling, bone damage and to relieve joint pain and stiffness. It’s a slow process; patients generally receive 22 weeks of gold injections before experiencing relief.
Source: U.S. Global Investors
Gold can be flattened into extremely thin sheets
Gold is highly malleable and flexible. Gold can be beaten into thin sheets, only a few millionths of an inch thick. These sheets, known as gold leaf, are displayed on buildings throughout the world, such as St. Michael’s Cathedral in Kiev, Ukraine.
Source: U.S. Global Investors
This structure is made of 1.5 tons of gold
India’s Sripuram Golden Temple is the world’s largest golden structure. The spiritual park is made out of 1.5 tons of gold. The gold leafing provides a durable and corrosion-resistant covering, says GoldPrice.com.
Source: U.S. Global Investors
Gold is used in space to reflect radiation and stabilize temperatures
It’s truly a gold universe. Space vehicles are fitted with gold-coated polyester film to reflect infrared radiation and to help stabilize core temperatures, says Geology.com. Without gold, darker colored parts of spacecraft would absorb significant amounts of heat.
Source: U.S. Global Investors
It's also found in space suits
NASA also protects its astronauts using gold. Astronauts’ helmets are covered by the extravehicular visor assembly. The visor is coated with a thin layer of gold to filter out the sun’s harmful rays, according to NASA.
Source: U.S. Global Investors
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