Rare-earth elements are a set of metallic elements in the periodic table. Chemists usually refer to a group of 17 elements when they use this label: the 15 lanthanides from lanthanum to lutetium, and ...

At the end of 2025, rare earth elements sit in an awkward intersection between climate ambitions, industrial policy and geopolitics. They are not the most important minerals by volume in the clean ...

Water. Earth. Fire. Air. You know the epic introduction. I bet you can hear it right now as you read. Those four elements not only represent the four nations of Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s world, but ...

If you transport yourself back to freshman chemistry, you will recall — perhaps with horror — the periodic table. The table, also known as the periodic table of the elements, is an orderly arrangement ...

Selenium is a trace mineral that our bodies need to maintain good health. It's found naturally in soil and many foods. Consuming selenium helps with thyroid function, immune health, and defends our ...

You are entirely forgiven for not knowing this, since they are not especially rare — cerium is about as common as copper. The problem is that they’re difficult to isolate and purify; it wouldn’t be ...

At the start of the new year, nuclear chemists Hiromitsu Haba and Kouji Morimoto slide precisely 119 Japanese yen into the collection box at their local shrine. They are seeking good fortune in their ...

What do you get when a bunch of French guys with bold ideas work together on a film? Apparently, you get The Fifth Element. The science-fiction favorite didn’t come from any existing property, but ...

James is a published author with multiple pop-history and science books to his name. He specializes in history, space, strange science, and anything out of the ordinary.View full profile James is a ...

Rare earth elements are critical to many industries—used in electric motors, medical imaging and diagnostics, oil and gas refining, and computer and phone screens. The 17 rare earth elements all have ...