Scientists turn lead into gold

Nature Video
12 May 2025

The transmuted metal only lasted a fraction of a second before it was obliterated but can tell researchers more about how atoms change.

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NEWS 09 May 2025 Physicists turn lead into gold — for a fraction of a second

Physicists have turned lead into gold. However, it only survived for a fraction of a second before it was obliterated.

Using a particle accelerator at CERN, researchers fired lead atoms at one another. Rather than hitting each other, they just slightly missed and their interactions created a high energy pulse. This led to three protons being ejected from the lead atoms, making gold. Overall, they only made 29 trillionths of a gram of gold — not quite enough for any jewellery. But through this, physicists can learn more about how particles can interact and change.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-01501-5