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Silver and gold-- how the heck are worthless metals desirable?

bluefoxicybluefoxicy Registered User regular
edited March 2010 in Social Entropy++
Go back really fucking far.

Before we had electricity.

Before soft metals like Gold were of any real use.

Silver is pretty pathetic compared to bronze and iron too.

And metallurgical research into combining metals to form nickel-silver alloys is pretty recent.

So here we have cave men trading food, and girls probably. Nah, probably not girls; the men hunted and brought meat to a bunch of women and then screwed them, more likely, but probably didn't have that marriage-family-whatever thing going on.

Give it time.

There. Right there. Society starts to form, bartering becomes more important, humans begin figuring out how to farm and raise animals instead of just hunting them. Instead of caves, we figured out we can tie a bunch of sticks together using a pig intestine and drape some leaves or a pig skin over it and have a make-shift shelter anywhere. Spoken language begins to develop; instead of "ugh" and "NNNGHHHHHHHH!!!!! *WAVES CLUB ANGRILY*" we have basic words, and eventually sentences.

Gold.

We start trading in gold.

A sheep (yummy) for a few pieces of shiny metal (not so yummy).

Today we still do it. It's regulated, it makes more sense (currency is a vulgar representation of compensation for work), and the metals are worthless. But we still barter gold and silver, seriously if someone hands you 100 pounds of gold and says they want your Mustang you are going to stutter and take the gold because holy fuck, you can buy a Porsche with 100 pounds of gold.

In some countries it's pretty standard to trade diamonds, rubies, other colorful rocks, silver, gold, and copper even in the presence of currency. Mostly because they don't trust their currency to keep value, so they bank on solid metal assets.

Why the hell do people value gold?

People call me Wood Man, 'cause I always got wood.
bluefoxicy on
«13

Posts

  • DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited March 2010
    tell us about your shaving collection

    Druhim on
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  • HunterHunter Chemist with a heart of Au Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    It's rare

    Shiny

    Malleable

    Hunter on
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  • VixxVixx Valkyrie: prepared! Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I would imagine it's to do with the fact that their properties allow for a good hardness/durability/malleability/ductile combo

    luster, too

    makes them easy to use in jewelry and as decorative accents

    plus gold doesn't lose its shine

    Vixx on
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  • MysstMysst King Monkey of Hedonism IslandRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    because gold doesn't shit in your pocket

    Mysst on
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  • #pipe#pipe Cocky Stride, Musky odours Pope of Chili TownRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    STOP

    MAKING

    THREADS

    #pipe on
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    Need some stuff designed or printed? I can help with that.
  • GumpyGumpy There is always a greater powerRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    People like things that are rare

    Things that look nice are also things people like

    Much easier to carry coin in your pocket then entire sheep

    Gumpy on
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  • DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited March 2010
    I am so classy my cocaines are gold plated

    Druhim on
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  • #pipe#pipe Cocky Stride, Musky odours Pope of Chili TownRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    one in ten of this guy's posts is a new thread

    one in ten

    #pipe on
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    Need some stuff designed or printed? I can help with that.
  • HunterHunter Chemist with a heart of Au Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I gold plated my silver

    Hunter on
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  • AbracadanielAbracadaniel Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    something something ron paul gold standard

    Abracadaniel on
  • Viscount IslandsViscount Islands [INSERT SoKo HERE] ...it was the summer of my lifeRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I bet if someone offered you a shit load of gold you'd take it.

    Viscount Islands on
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    What spring does with the cherry trees.
  • tsplittertsplitter Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    whats gonna look better on my teeth, gold or wool

    tsplitter on
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  • AbracadanielAbracadaniel Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Hunter wrote: »
    I gold plated my silver

    mind.


    blown.

    Abracadaniel on
  • bluefoxicybluefoxicy Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Viscount Islands wrote: »
    I bet if someone offered you a shit load of gold you'd take it.

    of course, it's valuable. I don't see WHY it's valuable, but it is.

    bluefoxicy on
    People call me Wood Man, 'cause I always got wood.
  • PlatyPlaty Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Silver is desirable because of werewolves.

    Platy on
  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited March 2010
    tsplitter wrote: »
    whats gonna look better on my teeth, gold or wool

    I am crotcheting you a filling right now

    it is so fine and classy.

    tynic on
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  • PlatyPlaty Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    bluefoxicy wrote: »
    Viscount Islands wrote: »
    I bet if someone offered you a shit load of gold you'd take it.

    of course, it's valuable. I don't see WHY it's valuable, but it is.
    You might ask the same thing for paper money.

    Platy on
  • GumpyGumpy There is always a greater powerRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    bluefoxicy wrote: »
    Viscount Islands wrote: »
    I bet if someone offered you a shit load of gold you'd take it.

    of course, it's valuable. I don't see WHY it's valuable, but it is.

    What would you use as a base unit of currency

    Gumpy on
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  • bongibongi regular
    edited March 2010
    bluefoxicy wrote: »
    Viscount Islands wrote: »
    I bet if someone offered you a shit load of gold you'd take it.

    of course, it's valuable. I don't see WHY it's valuable, but it is.

    because it's rare?

    bongi on
  • Viscount IslandsViscount Islands [INSERT SoKo HERE] ...it was the summer of my lifeRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    bongi wrote: »
    bluefoxicy wrote: »
    Viscount Islands wrote: »
    I bet if someone offered you a shit load of gold you'd take it.

    of course, it's valuable. I don't see WHY it's valuable, but it is.

    because it's rare?

    And pretty.

    Viscount Islands on
    I want to do with you
    What spring does with the cherry trees.
  • autono-wally, erotibot300autono-wally, erotibot300 love machine Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    gold is actually used in a number of way other than just being pretty, isn't it

    autono-wally, erotibot300 on
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  • DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited March 2010
    Chocolate covered cotton!
    Yossarian.jpg

    Druhim on
    belruelotterav-1.jpg
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] new member
    edited March 2010
    The user and all related content has been deleted.

    [Deleted User] on
  • tsplittertsplitter Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    man GIS'ing gangsta sheep is so disappointing

    tsplitter on
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  • WeaverWeaver Breakfast Witch Hashus BrowniusRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    gold mining is so fucked up

    Weaver on
  • #pipe#pipe Cocky Stride, Musky odours Pope of Chili TownRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    look at me

    I can google things to find the answers I seek

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_standard#Theory

    give me a medal

    a gold one

    #pipe on
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    Need some stuff designed or printed? I can help with that.
  • tsplittertsplitter Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    is it too late to make this into a pokemon thread

    tsplitter on
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  • MonkeyfeetMonkeyfeet Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I thought this was going to be about pokemon

    Monkeyfeet on
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  • lostwordslostwords Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    so is this thread gonna start talking about digimon, like a reverse of the clawshrimpy thread?

    lostwords on
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  • bluefoxicybluefoxicy Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Gumpy wrote: »
    bluefoxicy wrote: »
    Viscount Islands wrote: »
    I bet if someone offered you a shit load of gold you'd take it.

    of course, it's valuable. I don't see WHY it's valuable, but it is.

    What would you use as a base unit of currency

    What does America use as a base unit of currency?

    bluefoxicy on
    People call me Wood Man, 'cause I always got wood.
  • PlatyPlaty Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    The value of gold and silver is also very stable when compared to currency.

    Platy on
  • HunterHunter Chemist with a heart of Au Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    bluefoxicy wrote: »
    Gumpy wrote: »
    bluefoxicy wrote: »
    Viscount Islands wrote: »
    I bet if someone offered you a shit load of gold you'd take it.

    of course, it's valuable. I don't see WHY it's valuable, but it is.

    What would you use as a base unit of currency

    What does America use as a base unit of currency?

    Are you high?

    Hunter on
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  • satansfingerssatansfingers Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    i would like a sheep medal

    satansfingers on
  • VixxVixx Valkyrie: prepared! Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    the tears of newborn babies

    Vixx on
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  • tsplittertsplitter Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    bluefoxicy wrote: »
    Gumpy wrote: »
    bluefoxicy wrote: »
    Viscount Islands wrote: »
    I bet if someone offered you a shit load of gold you'd take it.

    of course, it's valuable. I don't see WHY it's valuable, but it is.

    What would you use as a base unit of currency

    What does America use as a base unit of currency?

    indian tears

    tsplitter on
    FqmsaJ6.png
  • DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited March 2010
    bluefoxicy wrote: »
    Gumpy wrote: »
    bluefoxicy wrote: »
    Viscount Islands wrote: »
    I bet if someone offered you a shit load of gold you'd take it.

    of course, it's valuable. I don't see WHY it's valuable, but it is.

    What would you use as a base unit of currency

    straight razors

    Druhim on
    belruelotterav-1.jpg
  • AbracadanielAbracadaniel Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    The Far Side wrote: »
    ron paul

    beaten to the punch

    Abracadaniel on
  • #pipe#pipe Cocky Stride, Musky odours Pope of Chili TownRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    bluefoxicy wrote: »
    Gumpy wrote: »
    bluefoxicy wrote: »
    Viscount Islands wrote: »
    I bet if someone offered you a shit load of gold you'd take it.

    of course, it's valuable. I don't see WHY it's valuable, but it is.

    What would you use as a base unit of currency

    What does America use as a base unit of currency?

    I am going to choke you

    c'mere a minute

    #pipe on
    JvTDS.png
    Need some stuff designed or printed? I can help with that.
  • autono-wally, erotibot300autono-wally, erotibot300 love machine Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    plus, only 155000 tons of gold were mined up until now during the whole history of mankind
    something that rare is bound to be considered expensive if it even has ONE use, and if that one use is just "looking pretty"
    Though gold is attacked by free chlorine, its good conductivity and general resistance to oxidation and corrosion in other environments (including resistance to non-chlorinated acids) has led to its widespread industrial use in the electronic era as a thin layer coating electrical connectors of all kinds, thereby ensuring good connection. For example, gold is used in the connectors of the more expensive electronics cables, such as audio, video and USB cables. The benefit of using gold over other connector metals such as tin in these applications is highly debated. Gold connectors are often criticized by audio-visual experts as unnecessary for most consumers and seen as simply a marketing ploy. However, the use of gold in other applications in electronic sliding contacts in highly humid or corrosive atmospheres, and in use for contacts with a very high failure cost (certain computers, communications equipment, spacecraft, jet aircraft engines) remains very common, and is unlikely to be replaced in the near future by any other metal.

    autono-wally, erotibot300 on
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  • AbracadanielAbracadaniel Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    you ever used currency. . .ON WEEEEEED

    Abracadaniel on
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