China sowed panic earlier this year when it restricted exports of rare-earth elements. The country has a near-monopoly on the critical minerals, which are used in everything from fighter jets to fibre optics. How does the unique chemical structure of rare earths make them so vital to so many different technologies—and how can western industry reduce its dependence on China for their supply?
Host: Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor. Guests: Andrea Sella of University College London; and The Economist’s Tim Cross and Anjani Trivedi.
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