Scientists have found the first case of an ionic crystal consisting of just one chemical element -- boron. This is the densest and hardest known phase of this element. The new phase turned out to be a ...

Rare earth elements (REEs) are pivotal in many modern technologies, ranging from renewable energy systems to advanced electronics, owing to their unique optical, magnetic, and electronic properties.

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American A while ago, I wrote a couple of posts ...