Gold.
Ancient Egyptian pharaohs covered everything in gold. Sumerian kings too, Mayan Incas too, Chinese emperors too. Civilizations far apart from each other all valued gold the most.
And even today, gold is treated as special. Starting with medal rankings...
From thousands of years ago until now, it's gold.
Why 'ㅅ'?
Just Because It's Shiny?
By that logic, diamonds are shiny too. Silver is shiny too. There are plenty of pretty gemstones.
But why gold specifically 'ㅅ'?
Gold Wasn't Made on Earth
Gold came from space.
And not from just anywhere. It was created in the extreme environment of two neutron stars colliding.
Silver, iron, and copper also came from space, but they can be made from a single supernova. Gold requires even more extreme conditions.
In 2017, NASA actually observed a neutron star collision and confirmed gold pouring out of it.
Rare Even in the Universe
Gold isn't just precious on Earth.
The proportion of gold in the entire universe is extremely tiny. Is gold rare everywhere in the universe...'ㅅ'?
What Makes Gold Unique
Gold is different from other materials.
Silver — turns black over time. Copper — rusts. Iron — rusts. Diamond — can break.
Gold?
Hit gold and it flattens. Try to tear it and it stretches. It doesn't break.
Is it rubber =ㅅ=
Gold from Egyptian pharaohs thousands of years ago still shines exactly the same today.
A material that never changes. Is gold the only such thing in nature 'ㅅ'?
The Color Gold
And one more thing.
Among natural metals, gold is the only yellow one. Silver, iron, copper, tin — all silver, gray, or reddish.
Only gold is gold-colored.
The Sun — gold. Saturn — gold. Stars in the night sky — shining gold.
In a universe that shines gold, a gold-colored material was born 'ㅅ'! That's kind of cute ㅇ0ㅇ!
Do Humans Instinctively Love Gold?
Did ancient people have knowledge of neutron star collisions and cosmic element abundance...?
Why did they choose the material born in the most extreme conditions, the rarest, the most unchanging, as the most precious?
It's just fascinating. Truly fascinating 'ㅅ'