Videos
Podcasts
Blogs
Quizzes
GamesPosts Tagged: ‘rare earth metals’
TechStuff Recharges With Some Rare Earth Metals
by Jonathan Strickland | November 19, 2010
It’s been an odd week here at HowStuffWorks.com. We’re preparing for the <a href="http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/thanksgiving.htm" target="_blank">Thanksgiving holiday</a> next week. So far, the TechStuff crew has painstakingly determined how turkeys work, whether cranberry sauce makes a good cooling system for your PC and how much pie Chris can eat before he says he’s not feeling well (it’s more than you’d think!). We’re also creeping toward that magical time of year when Chris and I have to revisit the predictions we made for 2010 and consider what technological advancements we’ll see next year. But before we open that can of worms, we have a few other episodes to talk about.
Rare earth metals are a crucial component in many electronic devices, but what exactly are they? In this episode, Jonathan and Chris break down the fact and fiction about rare earth metals — and why they’re so important.
Recent Postings by Category
BrainStuff
- Thank You and Best Wishes to Marshall Brain
- Contest – Design a $300 house and win $25,000
- How the Philtrum works – the place under your nose where your face comes together
The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
- Sailing, Takes Me Away…To The Seychelles
- Cute Animal Tuesday: Black Vulture
- Traveling on the Orient Express
Keep Asking
- Why can a 5 foot 8 inch man dunk a basketball on a 10 foot rim while some people of taller stature can’t?
- What happens to our sun once it runs out of fuel?
- How do we know the age of the universe?
Stuff Mom Never Told You
- Who invented the Christmas card?
- How the Kinsey Report Fueled Whiskey Sales
- How to Get Your Wedding Announcement into The New York Times
Stuff to Blow Your Mind
- The Seven Deadlies: Pride Cometh Before the Brain
- Warhammer 40K: 25 Years of Orks in Space
- A Visit to the Tellus Science Museum
Stuff You Should Know
- The Southern Death Cult, the Maya and Georgia
- Deformed Baby Spider Brains
- Amazing Medical Conditions: Maple Syrup Urine Disorder
The Stuff of Genius
CarStuff
- Was Chrysler’s “It’s Halftime in America” Super Bowl commercial a little too political?
- Why is NASA studying car safety?
- Tips for in-car Navigation Systems
How-to Stuff
- How to Make the Most of a Gallery Crawl (When You’re on a Shoestring Budget)
- How to Swim with Dolphins (When Deep Water Terrifies You)
- How to Cure a Homemade Cookie Craving Without Turning on the Oven
PopStuff
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 43: Drag Queens: You Better Work!
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 42: Road Trip!
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 41: Celebrity Couples
Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
Stuff to Change the World
- Who will own the Arctic?
- Obesity: The New Global Crisis
- Bill Gates Makes For A Pretty Decent Cartoon
Stuff You Missed in History Class
- Butch Cassidy: Should we read between the lines?
- Are we rooting for D.B. Cooper?
- Party Time: A Look at Unconventional Politics
