Lithium

So I have nothing new and exciting to share from the home turf, my apologies. So in an attempt to make science super cool and interesting, I thought I would take some time to blog about the title element for today: lithium.

As you'll notice from the trivia question below, lithium is a pretty interesting metal. It is also widely used in everyday life; it is found in rechargeable batteries and hybrid/electric cars. But with our increasing concerns about global warming and fossil fuel consumption, lithium has become a popular topic in the news. With a new "race for lithium" the U.S. is trying to acquire lithium to keep up with the electric and hybrid car market surging in Asia (cough...Prius...cough).

Here's the kicker: if electric cars are to take off for real this time (recall the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?), then the U.S. will become dependent on lithium reserves in South America (doesn't that sound eerily familiar to our current dependency on foreign oil?). Over half of the lithium reserves are found in Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. As for the U.S., there is a small reserve in Nevada, but that's about it.

Something crazy to think about. Possibly something to bring up the next time someone groans that there is nothing interesting about science or that science is unrelated to the "real world."

P. S. I hope you enjoy the links in the article...I think I got a bit too soapbox-y, but this was a super cool topic to write about!


Trivia: There are only two metals that can float on water. Can you guess which ones? (Hint: You'll find out the answer in post #11).

Fun Fact: While lithium is most commonly known for rechargeable batteries, it is also used as medication to control mood swings in individuals with bipolar disorder (in an attempt to not lead you astray, the pills are composed of lithium carbonate so don't go chomp on a piece of lithium metal if you're feeling moody :) ).