Neodymium: From “New Twin” to Technological Titan
From the shadows of scientific confusion to its pivotal role in the technology we use every day, neodymium has proven to be one of...
Copper – The Element We can Count on
From being the first metal to be manipulated by humans to becoming an important metal in the industry today, copper has proved to be...
Lead – The multipurpose element
Element number 82—lead—has been known to humankind for millennia and is one of the seven metals of antiquity, the others being gold, silver, copper,...
Gallium – The smart metal
Guess what would happen if you held a small piece of the silvery metal gallium in your hand? In a few minutes, it would...
Phosphorus – Critically life-essential, alarmingly poisonous
Aspooky element. That’s what phosphorus, the fifteenth element of the periodic table, is for many. In the early days after its discovery, some even...
Sodium: Violently explosive, yet essentially beneficial
The alkali metal sodium is so full of contradictions. Yes, it’s a metal. But, it’s one of those soft ones, about as soft as...
Iron – A workhorse of an element
From playing the role of a vital building block of steel to helping produce chlorophyll in plants and in carrying oxygen in the blood...
Chlorine – Toxic, but surprisingly useful
Chlorine, the second lightest of the halogens is more closely linked to our everyday lives than most people think. It does more than just...
Boron – Not boring, but complex and versatile
Boron, the fifth element of the Periodic Table, is one of its unsung heroes, but a hero all the same. Unfortunately, overshadowed by its...
Nitrogen – The life-essential element
Much like Oxygen and Carbon, the seventh element of the periodic table – Nitrogen – is also a crucial, life-supporting substance. Nitrogen is a...