In 1927, an extensive medical study
conducted in France proved gold could be valuable in the treatment of
rheumatoid arthritis. Also, AT&T used gold contacts pressed into a
germanium surface, as they developed the first transistor in the
1940s. In 1965, Colonel Edward White used a gold-coated visor to
protect his eyes from the sun during the first space walk on the
Gemini IV mission, and gold-coated visors are still a standard safety
feature for any modern astronaut. In fact, gold would continue to play
an important role in space exploration. For example, the first space
shuttle (launched in 1982) used gold in its liquid hydrogen fuel pump.
As we enter the 21st century in earnest,
gold is still one of the world’s most prized materials. It is now
widely associated with notions of achievement; Olympic medals, Nobel
prizes, Academy awards and the Palme d’Or (the Cannes Film Festival’s
top prize), all rely on the positive connotations of gold. There have
always been exceptions to this, from the golden calf in the Book of
Exodus suggesting idolatry, to communist propaganda using gold as a
symbol of bourgeois greed. And in Hollywood plots, stories of crime
and greed often hinge on gold – Goldfinger, The Maltese Falcoln
and Three Kings being some of the most famous examples.
But by and large, gold continues its long tradition of being thought
of positively throughout the world.
In practice, gold remains an economic anchor (the Euro is partly backed by gold reserves), a technological tool (giant gold-coated mirrors were used to capture the most detailed images of Neptune and Uranus ever produced) and is of course never likely to lose its aesthetic appeal. So the story continues…
Don’t forget to have a look at our After the gold rush page for more facts and figures about gold production in the 20th century.