We’re headed down to the dentist to see whether the teeth which had root canals recently should be protected with fillings or crowns. The morbid question then arose: what happens to the gold resulting from melting crowns upon cremation? I picture funeral directors pouring ash through sieves; the 21st-century equivalent of prospecting by panning.
If regular old burial is chosen, I suggested, 3 million years from now when archaeologists find and excavate Bush-era cemeteries they’ll conclude that ours was a very affluent society, assuming gold retains its intrinsic value.
Update: Fillings.