Rare earths are currently shaping debates on EV batteries, wind turbines and advanced defence gear. Yet most readers still misunderstand what “rare earths” actually are. These 17 elements seem ordinary, but they anchor the gadgets we carry daily. For decades they mocked chemists, remaining a riddle, until a quantum pioneer named Niels Bohr re

Rare earths are currently shaping talks on EV batteries, wind turbines and advanced defence gear. Yet most readers often confuse what “rare earths” actually are. These 17 elements seem ordinary, but they power the gadgets we carry daily. Their baffling chemistry had scientists scratching their heads for decades—until Niels Bohr intervened. T