Modern Alchemy, Museum Ethics, and Ancient Flight

The Point by Modern Sciences - December 30, 2025

Author

Don Smith
December 30, 2025

056

By The Modern Sciences Team

December 30, 2025

Let’s welcome the new year, Cultivators of Curiosity!


Welcome to the 52nd and final volume of The Point by Modern Sciences for 2025. As we stand on the cusp of a new year, we are proud to close this chapter by highlighting the incredible breadth of scientific inquiry—from the subatomic to the prehistoric. In this edition, we explore a modern-day take on alchemy at CERN, the sensitive ethical crossroads of how we treat the dead in our museums, and a breathtaking fossil discovery that rewrites the history of flight. Each of these stories serves as a reminder that science is a journey of both discovery and deep reflection.


We invite you to take a closer look at these milestones as we celebrate the progress made this year and look forward to the breakthroughs awaiting us in 2026. Happy New Year from the Modern Sciences team!

MATH AND THE SCIENCES

CERN Scientists Achieve 'Gold Creation' in Latest Particle Collision Experiment

In a groundbreaking experiment at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC), scientists have successfully produced gold through high-energy collisions between lead nuclei. This process, called electromagnetic dissociation, involves photon interactions that remove protons from the lead nuclei, creating gold nuclei. While the gold produced is minuscule, the experiment sheds light on nuclear processes and advances our understanding of particle collisions.



The Point:

  • Gold from lead at CERN: Scientists produced gold nuclei by colliding lead atoms at near-light speeds, using photon-induced reactions in electromagnetic dissociation.

  • Tiny yields, enormous energy: Each gold atom forms when three protons are knocked from lead, but only 29 picograms were made over three years—far too few for practical use.

  • Significant insights, not riches: The experiment advances our understanding of nuclear physics and beam behavior, even if the dream of alchemical gold remains symbolic.


HISTORY

How can we ethically display the dead in museums? What about resin casts of those who died violently in Pompeii?

How should museums display the dead? This complex ethical question is explored by contrasting two exhibitions: one that respectfully places Egyptian mummies in a separate room, and another that openly displays lifelike casts of Pompeii’s victims. The comparison highlights a growing debate over consent, visitor distress, and whether even copies of the dead demand a more reflective approach.



The Point:

  • Ethical Dilemmas of Displaying the Dead: The public exhibition of human remains raises complex ethical concerns, especially regarding consent, cultural sensitivity, and potential distress for viewers. These concerns are especially heightened when remains are taken without consent, as with many First Nations Ancestors, prompting global efforts toward restitution and repatriation.

  • Technological Replicas Pose New Questions: Advances in casting, scanning, and replicating human remains have made it easier to display lifelike impressions without biological material. However, even non-biological replicas, like the Pompeii casts, can be emotionally intense and raise ethical questions about trauma, consent, and the need for visitor warnings.

  • Calls for Reflection and Respectful Engagement: Museums are increasingly reassessing how to balance educational value with respect for the dead, influenced by cultural, historical, and colonial contexts. While collaborations—like Italy’s with Australia—can offer ethical frameworks, exhibitions must still promote reflection and choice, especially when dealing with death and human suffering.


NATURE

Newly Discovered Archaeopteryx Fossil Reveals Key Clues About the Evolution of Flight

A remarkably detailed Archaeopteryx fossil has revealed long, strategically placed wing feathers and subtle skull traits that strengthen the case for early powered flight in dinosaurs. With both avian and reptilian features, this Jurassic species showcases an important transitional stage in the evolution of flight, offering rare clues about how birds began to take to the skies.


The Point:

  • A refined view of early bird flight: The Chicago Archaeopteryx fossil reveals long tertial feathers that suggest this ancient bird had more advanced flight capabilities than previously believed.

  • Detailed anatomy bridges the bird-dinosaur gap: The specimen preserves key features like flexible skull bones and soft tissues in the feet, pointing to ground-walking and possible tree-climbing behaviors.

  • New clues on flight evolution: This discovery supports the theory that flight evolved more than once among dinosaurs, reshaping how scientists understand the transition from reptiles to birds.