I thought the irony is that "rare" earth metals are not rare at all? It's just t... | Hacker News

Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit

ck2 on June 11, 2024 | parent | context | favorite | on: Norway discovers Europe's largest deposit of rare ...

I thought the irony is that "rare" earth metals are not rare at all?

It's just that no-one wants to mine them at great expense for little profit?

(edit: are not, not are)

breck on June 11, 2024 | [–]

Correct, the term is a misnomer.

The Wikipedia page on "rare" earths is very interesting:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare-earth_element

ajmurmann on June 11, 2024 | [–]

It means the mineral wasn't cooked to a high internal temperature

(sorry, I accept the downvotes in advance)

pestatije on June 11, 2024 | [–]

well done!

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact