Wyoming has hit “the rare-earth mother lode,” says an article in the Wall Street Journal:
The discovery of 2.34 billion metric tons of rare-earth elements near Wheatland, Wyo., signals the beginning of a new era in the competition for the raw materials that power the global economy. If wisely exploited, this find—estimated to be the richest in the world—will give the U.S. an unparalleled economic and geopolitical edge against China and Russia for the foreseeable future.
The lode at Halleck Creek has the potential to make the U.S. the world’s largest processor of the minerals used to make computer chips, smartphones and aircraft engines. Rare earths are fundamental to advanced economic manufacturing. They are also critical in all military technologies, and thus have become central to national security.
Yet traditionally they also were “dirty” to mine. Production tended to leave water pollution, toxic sludge and radioactive elements in its wake. Environmental concerns led U.S. companies to curtail domestic extraction, and as a result China became the world’s largest refiner of rare earths, accounting for as much as 95% of global production and supply in 2023. Despite a recent increase in refining outside China, the U.S., along with other leading manufacturing countries, relies on Chinese rare-earth exports. And reliance has meant vulnerability, as Beijing has used its near monopoly to bolster its own industries and put pressure on competitors.
The Halleck Creek find is reportedly high in two of the most in-demand rare earths, neodymium and praseodymium oxides, both of which are also low in radioactive byproducts. Exploiting the Wyoming find, along with other mines in Arizona and Nevada, could help power a new generation of American manufacturing, ensure a supply of military-critical materials, and further reduce American reliance on trade with China……..If the U.S. refuses to press its natural advantages, it will cede global leadership to China. As crises rear up in Ukraine and the Middle East, Washington will have to ramp up all kinds of production for national defense while ensuring the American standard of living. Halleck Creek may one day be as familiar to Americans as the Comstock Lode or the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay.
In other news, a new substance discovered by artificial intelligence could reduce lithium use in batteries. Microsoft, which is collaborating with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), said that the new “material, unknown to us and not present in nature” could potentially reduce lithium use in batteries by up to 70% and “have tremendous environmental, safety, and economic benefits.”
Right now, 60% of lithium is processed in China. The U.S. accounts for just one percent of global lithium production. Lithium mining has a significant environmental impact.
In early January, the material discovered by Microsoft was tested in a working battery prototype that powers a lightbulb.
Thailand recently discovered a huge supply of lithium, although Thailand does not have any lithium refining, which is dominated by China. A U.S. volcano might contain an even larger supply of lithium, although the size of that deposit is unclear, and environmental regulations may delay tapping that supply. The Salton Sea may contain even more lithium still, although California environmental regulations could be an impediment to accessing it.
Artificial intelligence also is developing highly-effective antibodies to fight disease. Doctors overseas are using artificial intelligence to detect cases of breast cancer more effectively.
Scientists have developed tiny robots made of human cells to repair damaged cells. Nanorobots are also being used to fight cancer. “In a major advancement in nanomedicine, Arizona State University scientists…have successfully programmed nanorobots to shrink tumors by cutting off their blood supply,” reported Next Big Future.
In September, doctors used a surgical robot to carry out incredibly complicated spinal surgery. Last year, doctors did the first robotic liver transplant in America.
