questions & answers

Ask a simple question, get a simple answer? Think again! Scientists often have to work meticulously to come up with explanations for basic processes—and sometimes they inadvertently discover marvels that can change our perception of the world.

COULD THIS DRY LAKE POWER 250 MILLION CARS? WHITE GOLD The salt flats of Bolivia contain a very high percentage of the world’s lithium reserves. Beneath the surface of the Salar de Uyuni, which long ago was a huge prehistoric lake, lie quantities of the raw material worth at least $100 billion. Fun fact: Scenes from Star Wars: The Last Jedi were filmed here. THE LONG ROAD TO BECOMING A BATTERY Lithium, the lightest of the solid elements, is so reactive that it never occurs in its pure form in nature. But lithium for use in batteries must be at least 99% pure, and the process of creating such high purity requires at least a dozen steps. WATER FOR SMARTPHONES This worker is staking out space for a water basin on the salt flat. Here the…

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iD (Ideas & Discoveries) (Digital) - 1 Issue, May 2018

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