Mining and Refining: The Halogens
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I was looking at the periodic table of the elements the other day, as one does, when my eye fell upon the right-hand side of the chart. Right next to …read more Continue reading Mining and Refining: The Halogens
Collaborate Disseminate
I was looking at the periodic table of the elements the other day, as one does, when my eye fell upon the right-hand side of the chart. Right next to …read more Continue reading Mining and Refining: The Halogens
If you are in need of a lesson on just how much things have changed in the last 60 years, an anecdote from my childhood might suffice. My grandfather was …read more Continue reading Mining and Refining: Lead, Silver, and Zinc
Normally on “Mining and Refining,” we concentrate on the actual material that’s mined and refined. We’ve covered everything from copper to tungsten, with side trips to more unusual materials like …read more Continue reading Mining and Refining: Fracking
Our metallurgical history is a little bit like a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, only without the paper; we’re always looking for something hard enough to cut whatever the current …read more Continue reading Mining and Refining: Tungsten
The story of humankind is largely a tale of conflict, often brought about by the uneven distribution of resources. For as long as we’ve been down out of the trees, …read more Continue reading Mining and Refining: Cobalt, the Unfortunately Necessary Metal
When you think of the periodic table, some elements just have a vibe to them that’s completely unscientific, but nonetheless undeniable. Precious metals like gold and silver are obvious examples, …read more Continue reading Mining and Refining: Sulfur
With a seemingly endless list of shortages of basic items trotted across newsfeeds on a daily basis, you’d be pardoned for not noticing any one shortage in particular. But in …read more Continue reading Mining and Refining: Helium
It’s hard to reckon exactly when in history humans became a technological species. Part of that is because the definition of technology is somewhat subjective; if you think making a …read more Continue reading Mining and Refining: Copper, the Metal That Built Technology
Were it not for the thin sheath of water and carbon-based life covering it, our home planet would perhaps be best known as the “Silicon World.” More than a quarter …read more Continue reading Mining and Refining: Pure Silicon and the Incredible Effort It Takes to Get There