TThe world is on the brink of a new “gold rush.” Except this time, countries are rushing to control the minerals required for solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries. And instead of continuing to dig tunnels or pits, some scientists are looking to a promising — but challenging — source of minerals that has tormented researchers for decades: seawater.
The ocean holds far more than just water and salt. Pretty much every naturally occurring element on the periodic table can be found in seawater, from gold and silver to lithium, cobalt, and nickel.
The problem? For most of history, these metals have been out of reach, because they exist at levels so low that it’s kind of hard to even wrap your head around.
Imagine an olympic-sized swimming pool full of seawater. If you were to separate all the elements, you’d be left with about half a kilogram of lithium, 1.2 grams of nickel, 3 milligrams of cobalt, and similarly smal... Read more
