  The gravitational-wave detectors LIGO and Virgo together with their
electromagnetic partner facilities have transformed the modus operandi in which
we seek information about the Universe. The first ever-observed neutron-star
merger---GW170817---confirmed the association of short gamma-ray bursts with
neutron-star mergers and the production of heavy (r-process) elements. Based on
recent theoretical and observational developments, I briefly present and
discuss a conjecture, namely that compact accretion disks in both short and
long gamma-ray bursts synthesize most of the heavy r-process elements in the
Universe. The upcoming era of multi-messenger astronomy may allow us to verify
or falsify this conjecture.
