Welcome to the third issue of Gold Bulletin in 2014. As usual, the manuscripts touch on diverse areas of science and technology, from historic methods of nanoparticle synthesis through to the continued relevance of new gold alloys to materials science. One thing that the third issue’s line up of papers did remind me of is the ongoing importance of gold in the electronics industry. In 2013, 280 tonnes of gold was used in total, primarily in the form of thin bonding wire and coatings. Practically, every item containing electronic components will utilise a small quantity of gold, from consumer goods such as smartphones and tablets, through to a broad range of critical systems in aeroplanes and cars. The fact of the matter is that we all use gold on a daily basis, and 99%of the population are completely unaware of it!
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