10-01-2011, 07:21 PM | #11 |
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Re: [Infinite Worlds] What is the Russian Mafia stealing?
I could talk about how it is enormously ductile, conductive and corrosion resistant but that's beside the point which is that if you look at the vast majority of worlds discovered by Homeline, they are in fact worlds which have the same "arbitrary" response to gold...if not more.
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10-01-2011, 09:45 PM | #12 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: [Infinite Worlds] What is the Russian Mafia stealing?
Which while weird is expected for close parallels.
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10-01-2011, 10:17 PM | #13 |
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Re: [Infinite Worlds] What is the Russian Mafia stealing?
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10-01-2011, 11:37 PM | #14 |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Charlotte, North Caroline, United States of America, Earth?
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Re: [Infinite Worlds] What is the Russian Mafia stealing?
Still doesn't stop the fact that Gold is *useful*. As Roguebfl pointed out, it has great qualities for making electronics, as well. I left that out, on purpose, because for the majority of human history, electronics haven't been around. But gold is still an extremely useful element, and that's not arbitrary. Gold is useful because it is:
1) Rare. This means you can control the influx of gold into an economy. Useful when you are basing your currency. There have been times when Gold has been devalued by unexpected sources(e.g. Mansu Musa's Hajj), but in general, you know that gold isn't something people can fake easily. 2) Durable. While gold isn't hard(like iron), it also doesn't degrade. Gold left in a dirt hole for a thousand years won't degrade into useless crap(like iron), it will still be gold. Solid, awesome, gold. This is also why it's used in currency: your 96% gold coins arn't going to change in composition, even if you drop them in seas, bury them in offal or burn them. They will still be gold. 3) Workable. The ductility of gold is nice when you are attempting to create works of art. I'd rather work with gold than iron for making delicate scenic votives. This also comes back to the durability thing: gold artifacts are going to retain their shape for a very long time, while thin worked iron/steel(and for a long time, Steel was probably more valuable than gold) will rust away over time. Gold is good.
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10-02-2011, 10:05 AM | #15 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: [Infinite Worlds] What is the Russian Mafia stealing?
I guess it's my lack of viewing aesthetics as something that could be worth THAT much. Pretty should not be enough to make something worth more than things with actual use like food, comfort items, etc.
(Naturally, I chose an artist as a life mate, so the universe is made of irony.) It's minor use in electronics is only for TL 7 plus, which most world jumpers might want to avoid rather than plunder. |
10-02-2011, 10:11 AM | #16 |
Join Date: Jun 2010
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Re: [Infinite Worlds] What is the Russian Mafia stealing?
Books. They could be books on "Demons" IE other infinite worlders etc. Or spells etc.
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10-02-2011, 10:14 AM | #17 | |
Dog of Lysdexics
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Melbourne FL, Formerly Wellington NZ
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Re: [Infinite Worlds] What is the Russian Mafia stealing?
Quote:
And Does Not tarnish is a huge value , form a non debased currency though gold wash presenting armor from rusting, very useful near salt water. There a Reson why cultural raging from Babylon, though Egypt though Inca indeterminately valued it. This is Not a modern observational, it be with humans since before we started recording history. |
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10-02-2011, 10:18 AM | #18 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: [Infinite Worlds] What is the Russian Mafia stealing?
Gold was too valuable to use in currency most of the time. Silver was used for that I believe.
Gold's minor use in electronics is because it doesn't take that much gold. I could be wrong, but what computers need it in terms of ounces rather than grams? |
10-02-2011, 10:30 AM | #19 | ||
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Charlotte, North Caroline, United States of America, Earth?
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Re: [Infinite Worlds] What is the Russian Mafia stealing?
Quote:
Quote:
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10-02-2011, 10:33 AM | #20 |
Night Watchman
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
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Re: [Infinite Worlds] What is the Russian Mafia stealing?
Why steal? It's easier in the long run to import stuff that you can acquire legally at reasonably low cost somewhere else, but which happens to be illegal, yet desirable, and thus expensive, somewhere else. Which, since it can't be all that bulky, tends to imply drugs. Boring, but plausible.
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