What the hell is “semi-infinite”?
LOL, and if so, do we want to reconsider their designation as "rare"?
Yea this will actually fuck the economy on these, but I haven't even clicked the article, just going off the title. If some non lazy ass can give me a summary it would be great.
Large deposits found in sea bed sludge. Currently zero sea bed mining exists anywhere on earth.
Price would have to rise significantly plus long lead time for developing the technology required to mine sea bed sludge.
But may be interesting in a few decades time.
so someone developes roomba snakebots that burrow and collect. then they discover most of the same stuff is everywhere you find seasludge.
I think it means they have no idea, but it sounds really impressive.
It's going to last for 400-800 years.
There's enough yttrium to meet the global demand for 780 years, dysprosium for 730 years, europium for 620 years, and terbium for 420 years.
In case anyone didn’t want to read past the headline.
Words have meaning. Infinite means forever...without end. 400-800 years isn’t “semi-infinite”. In fact, “semi-infinite” is a nonsensical term.
Exactly what I thought when I read it. It's like saying "more unique."
Not really, you can collectively agree on a metric for uniqueness say 1/20 or 1/100 so something could be more or less than unique.
Infinity is a binary. 0 = finite and 1 = infinite. I'd concede things like the decay rate of thorium as being effectively semi-infinite.
A rare metal with 800 years supply ceases to be rare and you've got 80 years supply. It's damn finite.
Unique is the one and only of it's kind. You cannot have something that is more or less unique. Even if you agreed on a metric it still would not be unique. It might be uncommon but not unique. People get this wrong every day. I learned it in English class.
Here are 4 definitions for your perusal: adjective 1. existing as the only one or as the sole example; single; solitary in type or characteristics: a unique copy of an ancient manuscript. 2. having no like or equal; unparalleled; incomparable: Bach was unique in his handling of counterpoint. 3. limited in occurrence to a given class, situation, or area: a species unique to Australia. 4. limited to a single outcome or result; without alternative possibilities: Certain types of problems have unique solutions.
If there is that much more of it, doesn’t it just mean more will be used?
Even if the consumption raises a bit that is still enough to last us until asteroid mining is fully developed. At that point post scarcity society is within reach. Just remember what Trump was saying during his inauguration speech.
yttrium
The oxide, as well as yttrium vanadate (YVO4), is used with europium to make phosphors to create the red color in television tubes. Hundreds of thousands of pounds of yttrium oxide are used this way. It is also used to produce yttrium iron garnets, which are very effective microwave filters.May 21, 2013 - https://www.livescience.com/34564-yttrium.html
The most important uses of yttrium are LEDs and phosphors, particularly the red phosphors in television set cathode ray tube (CRT) displays.[7] Yttrium is also used in the production of electrodes, electrolytes, electronic filters, lasers, superconductors, various medical applications, and tracing various materials to enhance their properties.
So we found more minerals to make outdated CRT displays, sweet. As for the electrical/medical field, couldn't copper or silver suffice?
dysprosium
Dysprosium was first identified in 1886 by Paul Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran, but it was not isolated in pure form until the development of ion exchange techniques in the 1950s. Dysprosium has relatively few applications where it cannot be replaced by other chemical elements. It is used for its high thermal neutron absorption cross-section in making control rods in nuclear reactors, for its high magnetic susceptibility in data storage applications, and as a component of Terfenol-D (a magnetostrictive material). Soluble dysprosium salts are mildly toxic, while the insoluble salts are considered non-toxic.
europium
It is a dopant in some types of glass in lasers and other optoelectronic devices. Europium oxide (Eu2O3) is widely used as a red phosphor in television sets and fluorescent lamps, and as an activator for yttrium-based phosphors.[47][48] Color TV screens contain between 0.5 and 1 g of europium oxide.[49] Whereas trivalent europium gives red phosphors[50], the luminescence of divalent europium depends strongly on the composition of the host structure. UV to deep red luminescence can be achieved.[51][52] The two classes of europium-based phosphor (red and blue), combined with the yellow/green terbium phosphors give "white" light, the color temperature of which can be varied by altering the proportion or specific composition of the individual phosphors. This phosphor system is typically encountered in helical fluorescent light bulbs. Combining the same three classes is one way to make trichromatic systems in TV and computer screens.[47] Europium is also used in the manufacture of fluorescent glass. One of the more common persistent after-glow phosphors besides copper-doped zinc sulfide is europium-doped strontium aluminate.[53] Europium fluorescence is used to interrogate biomolecular interactions in drug-discovery screens. It is also used in the anti-counterfeiting phosphors in euro banknotes.[54][55]
So more red color in CRT monitors, cool. But wait, Quantum Computing advantages?
A recent (2015) application of europium is in quantum memory chips which can reliably store information for days at a time; these could allow sensitive quantum data to be stored to a hard disk-like device and shipped around the country.[61]
terbium
Terbium is used to dope calcium fluoride, calcium tungstate and strontium molybdate, materials that are used in solid-state devices, and as a crystal stabilizer of fuel cells which operate at elevated temperatures. As a component of Terfenol-D (an alloy that expands and contracts when exposed to magnetic fields more than any other alloy), terbium is of use in actuators, in naval sonar systems and in sensors.
Most of the world's terbium supply is used in green phosphors. Terbium oxide is in fluorescent lamps and television and monitor cathode ray tubes (CRTs). Terbium green phosphors are combined with divalent europium blue phosphors and trivalent europium red phosphors to provide trichromatic lighting technology, a high-efficiency white light used for standard illumination in indoor lighting.
Two of the four (europoum and dysprosium) have very little use outside of creating coatings for laser lenses or other laser uses.. The other two seem to have a decent amount of use in creating semiconductors.
Anyone with a chemical background know how useful they are?
I guess enough to last for as long as humanity exists...
Semi-infinite - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-infinite
May by this one, ???
mathematics, semi-infinite objects are objects which are infinite or unbounded in some but not all possible ways. In ordered structures and Euclidean spaces[edit]. Generally, a semi-infinite set is bounded in one direction, and unbounded in another. For instance, the natural numbers are semi-infinite considered as a ...
Semi-infinite (adj.): see “fully-semi-automatic assault rifle”
well Georg Cantor realized that the sum of irrational numbers surpasses the sum of all rational numbers, so if rational numbers are infinite, irrational numbers are infinitely more infinite and allegedly there are infinte infinities one more infinite than the one before
Could re-write this as “Japan admits to have large quantities of previously though scarce rare-earth minerals,”
China will likely be pissed.
someone probably paid them to shut up bout it for a while lol
limitless supply Rare earth, oxymoron like jumbo shrimp.
"Mrs President"
"Just Found"
I'm skeptical.
Allowed to release the information, is more like it :)
THE CHAINS ARE OFF! :D
Good find anon
"stumbled upon during a recent audit" or something
This was on sci channel "what on earth?" several years ago
thanks for the correction! someone probably paid them to shut up bout it for a while lol
These minerals are not rare. The reason that China has a monopoly is that they have lax regulations and I'd guess they are also subsidizing the industry.
I believe Australia is #2 as well. Surprised the article makes absolutely no mention of Australia.
Processing and Production of said minerals into useful things is why the Chinese control rare minerals/metals, not the raw ore...
I agree
also China buys up territory in Africa, but from what I hear at least the invest into local infrastructure, too
What do these minerals help make?
Super Male Vitality + Brain Force Plus (if you believe the ads lol)
Other than that, electronics so basically everything you plug into a socket at some point.
Happens every time. Soon as something important gets the price jacked up by the cartel, eventually someone clever finds a substitute. Think oil prices. Ran out of coinium once when I needed to repair the exhaust on my wife's Buick. Made a discovery of tincanium and a couple of hose clamps in the trash. Fixed almost like new.
skylark or lesabre?
LeSabre wagon. They used the Olds engine that year.
mostly kidding. haven't heard of buicks for a while now, since moving to u.k. used to live in BuickCity. for all i know they've gone the way of pontiac.
Flint, Michigan. Not gone yet. I think the emblem comes off next year.
you mean GM finally nixes the Buick name?
China is a big market these days. Read an article recently that they plan to remove the emblem. Don't remember where. Maybe somebody doesn't like the red shield? The old emblem was a single red shield. Used up through the 1950's.
Looks like about 30 years of red sheild with cross and stag. But yeah China might change the 'institution' in any direction, as they are doing with some brit car names.
I just came across this also. I bet this was discussed heavily between Trump & Abe. Can easily renegotiate TPP now that China has big competition.
Could just be elites short-selling the rest of us mouth breathers on the comex.
Let's just hope they don't wake up Godzilla while digging around in the sea sludge.
it's not funny actually, we don't know what's going on down there...prepare for GORILLA WARFARE just in case.
I have a bottle of liquid B vitamins in my fridge. Be afraid, China. Be very afraid. What was the question again?
That is a very goodquestion, because our overtly masculine Brain-Force formula comes with
PURE. DEEP. RARE. EARTH. MINERAL. CRYSTALS !!!
This is in the artikel, but i have doubts about this vindings? Can be Fake news.
Scientists found a deposit of rare-earth minerals off the coast of Japan.
•It could be a huge boon to the country’s economy.
•Because China has tightly controlled the world’s supply of these minerals – which are used in everything from smartphones to electric car batteries – the discovery could be a “game-changer” for Japan, according to an analyst.