Skip to main content
Back to Show
Reactions

Why is the US buying Canada's trash for $30,000 per gram?

Season 10 Episode 12

Companies around the world are fighting to buy a rare radioactive substance, despite its $30,000-per-gram price tag. This substance powers emergency exit signs that can stay bright for two decades without power, glow-in-the-dark keychains, and might one day unlock the holy grail of clean energy. What is this mystery substance?

Support Provided By
Season
These Two Women Changed Chemistry Forever
4:59
Let's honor women’s history month in the international year of the periodic table.
Are We Running Out of Helium?
4:35
Did you realize that here on Earth, there are endangered elements too?
What's In Dog Food?
5:37
Why Dog Food STINKS!
Can Mixing Cleaning Chemicals Kill You?
4:30
Death By Toilet Bowl Cleaning?
How Did the 80s Get Hair So Big?
4:31
How Did the 80s Get Hair So Big?
Is White Chocolate Actually White Chocolate?
2:56
Is White Chocolate Actually White Chocolate?
Does Shaving Cream Do Anything?
8:15
We get up close and personal with the chemistry of your bathroom's most magical soap.
Why Flamingos Are Pink and Hardcore
3:32
Flamingos Are Pink and one of the most hardcore animals on the planet.
Citrus Scent DEBUNKED!
3:48
Citrus Scent DEBUNKED!
Can Plastic Be Composted?
4:33
Can Plastic Be Composted?
How Does Low-Dose Aspirin Work?
4:27
How Does Low-Dose Aspirin Work?
What Makes Kimchi So Delicious?
4:39
What makes kimchi sour and spicy, yet also surprisingly rich and buttery?
Active loading indicator