Discover the significance of rare-earth elements, their applications in technology, and the global race for their resources.

NASA is using a high-altitude ER-2 aircraft and the AVIRIS-5 sensor to map critical minerals across the American West, supporting research on resources used in electronics, clean energy, and national ...

X-ray scans reveal rare chemical signatures in asteroid grains that hint at water, organics and the building blocks of life. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate ...

Beyond everyday gadgets, these minerals are vital for national defense and the transition to green energy, as they are required to build wind turbines and advanced fighter jets. These minerals have ...

A microscopic fragment from the asteroid Ryugu, brought back to Earth by Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission, has revealed something astonishing: a crystalline mineral that scientists have never observed on our ...

Today, oceans cover about 70% of Earth’s surface. This stark contrast has long driven scientific interest in how water ...

This story is part of the Grist series Unearthed: The Mining Issue, which examines the global race to extract critical minerals for the clean energy transition. But what if there were another way? Or, ...

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 ...

Every year, something extraordinary happens in Tucson. Beneath the backdrop of rugged mountains and under an impossibly blue sky, the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show transforms the city into a global hub ...