HOW NIELS BOHR CRACKED THE RARE-EARTH CODE

Rare earths are presently shaping talks on EV batteries, wind turbines and advanced defence gear. Yet the public still misunderstand what “rare earths” actually are. These 17 elements seem ordinary, but they power the gadgets we use daily. Their baffling chemistry left scientists scratching their heads for decades—until Niels Bohr stepped in