Transmutation

Instead of changing lead (a “base” metal) into gold (a “precious” metal), the transmutation addressed here is that of the so-called precious metals (gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium) into something far more valuable.  This is the context of the ORME -- which is an acronym for “orbitally rearranged monoatomic elements”.  The ORME, aka the White Powder of Gold, is probably the closest thing to finding the Elixir of Life and/or the Philosopher’s Stone in the modern age.  

The degree to which the ORME is the really significant elemental transmutation is fully explored in ORME Physics, which includes such related topics as Nuclear Shell Model, Precious Metals, and Monoatomic Elements; and with side trips to Superconductivity, Star Fire, ORME Biology, Mount Horeb, Ark of the Covenant, and Dem Wid De Gold.  Suffice it to say, there’s a lot of “gold in them thar hills”, when it comes to the viability of the ORME in being the ultimate in transmutations.

On the more traditional, scientific mainstream level, we’re talking about your basic nuclear transmutation, the phenomenon of one element transforming totally into another element -- as opposed to a superconducting beam of light!  Nuclear transmutation is not chemistry -- where different atoms might combine or separate (but without ever losing their chemical properties).  Nuclear transmutation is where the element itself -- the nuclei (from which its elemental nature is derived) -- is changed into another, quite dissimilar element.   

Nuclear transmutation, from the viewpoint of mainstream physics, is pretty ho-hum stuff.  It is routinely encountered in radioactive decay, where one element emits alpha, beta or gamma radiation and becomes another element.  Strictly speaking the alpha “radiation” is actually a Helium-4 nucleus (i.e. two neutrons and two protons), and beta “radiation” is the emission of an electron from the nucleus (which is equivalent to converting a neutron in the nucleus into a proton).  The change in the number of protons in the nucleus is the mechanism which creates other distinct element(s) from the original radioactive decaying element.  [A change in the number of neutrons, however, produces only a change in the element’s isotopes -- i.e., the same element, but with a different nuclear mass.]  

Then there’s nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.  The first is splitting heavy elements, such as Uranium-235 and Plutonium-239 into “fission fragments” (much lighter elements which are between the split element and iron; the latter the apex of stability in the nuclear chart).  This is the basis for the atomic bomb, and all currently commercial nuclear power plants.  

Nuclear fusion is combining lighter elements to form heavier ones.  The primary candidate is Hydrogen (actually, Deuterium - a Hydrogen nucleus with a neutron) which is fused to form Helium-4.  (The “4” denotes the number of protons and neutrons.  “Helium” has 2 protons.)  One can also, theoretically, fuse three Helium-4 nuclei into a Carbon-12 nuclei, but this has been confined thus far to reactions in stars, where the energy to initiate, and the ability to keep it under “control” is available (i.e. a massive gravitational field).  

The Hydrogen bomb is a nuclear fusion device (which interestingly enough requires an atomic bomb to detonate it).  There is currently no commercial viability to controlled thermonuclear fusion -- unless one counts Cold Fusion.  (The latter is the ultimate in nuclear transmutation, as it’s basically done at room temperature -- much to the chagrin of Hot Fusion enthusiasts, and their financial supporters.  Cold Fusion’s commercial viability is thus restricted primarily by ignorant physicists and vested financial interests.)

The problem with nuclear transmutations of the mainstream, commercial kind is that the fission fragments obtained are radioactive, and these high-level nuclear wastes include long-lived nuclides arising from the re-processing of spent fuels of nuclear power plants.  Even the traditional nuclear hot fusion process has found that the accompanying equipment is becoming radioactive and thus, there is no great advantage of the hot fusion process over the fission.  Bummer.  

However, if the long-lived nuclides could be converted to the short-lived or stable ones by some transmutation technique, the management period for the geological disposal of the nuclear wastes could be much shorter than expected (now roughly a thousand years), and this could lead to greatly reducing the burden of radioactive waste over geologic times.   

The possibility of nuclear transmutation -- in particular of radioactive waste products -- is, fortunately, not totally a fantasy.  There are currently what appear to be viable processes which should be able to eliminate the radioactive waste disposal problem.  These include variations of the processes in Cold Fusion research, small public companies -- such as Nuclear Solutions, Inc. -- which purport to have the means to do the job, and then as a whole new direction of thinking, the possibility of Biological Transmutation.  The latter is a subject unto itself, and worthy of respectful consideration.

[8/29/11] In fact, with regards to Transmutations, Biological and otherwise (as well as the ORME, ORMUS, White Powder of Gold, Philosopher’s Stone, Elixir of Life, Food of the Gods, Star Fire, the Ark of the Covenant, Alchemy, Secrets, Transmutation in general, and, of course, giving my regards to Broadway), there is a new kid on the block, a new development that really must be noted. It is The Book of Aquarius, a delightful treatise on The Great Work of Alchemy. Inasmuch as The Great Work is ultimately about some major biological transmutations, it's nice to now of the scientific plausibility of what might be accomplished.

Halexandria gets a LOT of questions on these subjects involving where do I get it, how do I make it, whose stuff is better, and is this the Way to San Jose? Suffice it to say, no discussion of the The Great Work is really going to be complete without a pit stop at this link.

Alchemy         Tao Te Ching         I Ching         Daath          

Forward to:

Biological Transmutation         Magic         Wicca         Divination

The Great Work of Alchemy