This. There are maybe a hundred billion planets with about the same composition as Earth in our galaxy alone; if you just want the raw materials, it would be easier to mine asteroids and comets. But there is only one biosphere that is exactly like Earth’s in the entire visible universe. Our ball of rock and iron only has special worth as a physical support system for the biosphere. and for the cultures that depend on it.
(it may be that our cultures and products of those cultures may be even more valuable than out biosphere in some alien markets).
Or it might have negative value to those aliens. Berserkers might destroy us because they hate all life, or all life that isn’t their species.
Isn’t there going to be a good amount of gold in the core too? Heavy stuff sinks, right?
Gold should be present in the core, not just because it is heavy, but because it is a siderophile element, soluble in iron
On the other hand, the heavy element uranium is a lithophile, and lead is a chalcophile, so both of those should be found in the crust rather than the core.
I don’t know if it is too late to add this. But you know, this would be an excellent question for Cecil Adams. Here, just insert this:
[Dear Cecil:]
[Jim B.]
**Cecil **will wiffle waffle and it will eventually turn out he had a side deal going with the Alpha Centurians.