Discarded Electronics are Full of Gold

(Our happy-hour fact to amaze your drinking buddies with.)

There is more gold in one metric ton of scrap computers and other electronics than there is in 17 tons of gold ore.

Gold is used in computer circuits because it's extremely conductive and doesn't degrade over time. Many countries around the world have systems in place to recover the gold from all waste electronics since the metals inside are so valuable.

But there are risks involved: A man in Oklahoma died recently, poisoned by the mercury he was using to separate the metals. Authorities say his home is now so contaminated that it can't legally be lived in.

Worse, the dangers involved mean that many countries ship out their recycling to poorer countries or places where safety regulations are less strict.

And remember this depressing fact next time your computer crashes: Given the rate gold prices are increasing, your PC could actually be earning more money than you.