Rare-earth metals, also known as lanthanides, are critical parts of modern life that are often hidden in plain sight. Their name comes from the Greek "lanthanein," which means "hidden." True to form, ...

Scientists have discovered a fern from South China that naturally forms tiny crystals containing rare earth elements (REEs). This breakthrough opens the door to a promising new way of "green mining" ...

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 ...

(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- Energy independence was for decades a fantasy in the US, until the advent of a new kind of oil production technology in the early aughts changed the rules of the game.