Silver is thought to have been first used as money in Mesopotamia around 3,000BC. The silver was initially in the form of rings worn as jewelry that also functioned as currency. Coins were subsequently minted using the sexagesimal system (this system, based upon 60, is still used today to measure…
Scandium (“Sc”) is element 21 on the periodic table, next to titanium at 22. It is a soft, white transition metal that has some properties that are similar to rare-earth elements, as does yttrium. Both are in the same row of the periodic table as the rare-earths. Although scandium is…
The image below is compelling evidence of the property boom in Sydney and Melbourne. The cranes are everywhere, is some places one can see as many as 20 within a kilometre or two. And it seems most streets in the city have houses being demolished and replaced with McMansions. This…
All people have a bias blind spot, that is they invariably think that they are less biased than everyone else. In one study, at Carnegie Mellon University, only one person out of 661 said that they were as or more biased than other people. This cognitive bias leads us to…
Properties All garnet minerals are alumino-silicates, the following table lists the most common types of garnet minerals. Note that these are “end member” formulas, it is possible for replacement to occur. For example, the calcium in grossular is often replaced by iron. Mineral Formula Specific Gravity Hardness (Mohs) Almandine…
We are told that electric automobiles are the future. Currently coal, oil or gas are the source of energy for most electricity. Only about a third of the energy in the source is converted to electricity. There are also significant losses in the transmission of electricity and in charging the…