Isn't it amazing that all of these elements have so many distinct industrial uses? How did people figure all of this stuff out? Real life is sometimes stranger than fiction.

Also, related: I read an article in WaPo about the only rare earths mine in the United States:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/2019/06/07/8...

> This is Mountain Pass, the only mine in the United States that harvests rare-earth elements, the raw ingredients used to produce high-tech products such as smartphones, wind turbines, electric vehicles and fighter jets.