Continuing Education – Evening Lecture
Solving the Puzzle of Rare Earth Metals
Presenter: Roger Turner, Ph.D.
Instruments and Artifacts Curator
Science History Institute
Philadelphia, PA
Tuesday, December 3, 2024
5:30pm-6:30pm – Presentation (Eastern time)
6:30pm-6:45pm – Q&A Session & Closing Remarks
PDH Credit: 1 credit
Location: This will be an online presentation only.
Price:
$10 each for all attendees
Abstract:
Historical perspective can help us to understand the scientific, engineering, and political challenges that rare earth metals pose today. Hard to separate and hard to study, what we now call the lanthanides have puzzled chemists since the late 18th century. Advances in separations chemistry during the 20th century opened a surprisingly wide range of applications, from incandescent gas lighting to computer hard drives, lasers, and wind turbines. Today, both skill in separations chemistry and the production of rare earth metals has become highly concentrated in China, leading to a wave of American concerns about national security and economic competitiveness. This situation has deep roots in 20th century nuclear science and post-1970s trade and industrial policies. Understanding this history can help us piece together better ways to produce rare earth metals without compromising the environment or our democratic values.
Biography:
Roger Turner is the curator for instruments and artifacts at the Science History Institute in Philadelphia. Since 2018 he has been the historical lead for the Rare Earth Elements Project, a partnership to produce credible, disinterested information about these metals. The Project was awarded a Horizon Prize for Education from the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2023. Turner holds a Ph.D. in History and Sociology of Science from the University of Pennsylvania.
Registration:
Please register no later than Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at 12 noon. Cancellation requests received by the registration deadline will be fully refunded.
Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Cynthia Tarun at tarun.aichedvs@gmail.com, 832-341-4960 (Mobile).