COMMENTARY — The golden age of technology

By any measure, we live in a golden age of technology — an age in which orbiting satellites tell us the temperature of the earth and measure the gaps in the ozone layer; an age in which a student, at the stroke of a computer key, can gain access to all of the works in the Library of Congress.

This is truly a golden age, and not only because of the breathless pace of progress but also because one of the major elements that has made this progress possible is gold.

Whenever lives depend on the flawless operation of electronic equipment, be it in an aircraft, automobile or nuclear submarine, gold technology is used.

Gold has superior conductivity, unequalled reliability, and is virtually indestructible. It never rusts or corrodes and is unaffected by extremes of temperature. This is why gold has become such an essential component of today’s rapidly expanding world of technology.

Once considered a luxury, this ancient metal has become a vital part of today’s electronics, communications and national security.

Soon after the Second World War, gold was used by American physicists to develop the first transistor, giving birth to modern electronics. A generation later, it was used to develop the first microchip. Today, gold is integral to the reliable functioning of virtually all consumer electronics, from telephones, televisions and video cassette recorders to cameras, compact discs and personal computers.

In space, gold ensures the reliable functioning of the sophisticated electronics of manned spacecraft and satellites. The lifeline that tethers an astronaut during a spacewalk is coated with gold to protect it from thermal damage. Gold covered visors protect the eyes of the astronaut. The space vehicles themselves are sheathed in gold foil to protect them from solar radiation.

In defense, gold’s extraordinary reflective power is used to deflect and confuse the signals of heat-seeking missiles. Air Force One, the plane of the President of the United States, is among the aircraft protected by gold’s anti-missile reflectors.

In modern astronomy, gold plays a vital role because of its unmatched ability to reflect infrared light. The yellow metal is used on the reflective mirrors of the world’s largest twin telescopes at the Keck observatory in Hawaii, enabling astronomers to record the faintest emissions of light from the outer reaches of the universe.

— From an article by The Gold Institute, as it appeared in The Washington Post.