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The Future of Technology Is Hiding on the Ocean Floor

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The Future of Technology Is Hiding on the Ocean Floor

Gizmodo,

5 min read
5 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

The seabed is rich with rare earth metals – the materials that make smartphones, laptops and certain cancer drugs possible.

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative

Recommendation

Deep in the ocean, lying on the seabed, you’ll find vast fields of manganese nodules filled with rare earth metals – the materials that make smartphones, laptops and certain life-saving medications possible. Journalist Maddie Stone highlights the manifold uses of these metals, and, recognizing them as a finite resource, details the growing demand for them that could lead to deep-sea mining. getAbstract recommends this article to businesses interested in investing in deep-ocean research, as well as to scientists and environmentalists concerned about the negative impact that such activities could have on entire ocean ecosystems.

Summary

A booming technology sector has created high demand for elements known as rare earth metals, which make smartphone components, cancer treatment medications and clean energy technology possible. Recent discoveries indicate a great abundance of these metals located in manganese nodules at the bottom of the sea – an estimated 15 million tons in the Clarion Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean alone. Current extraction on land is just 100,000 tons per year; therefore the plentiful supply on the seabed is of great interest to many countries...

About the Author

Maddie Stone is a staff writer at Gizmodo, a design and technology blog that features articles on the latest science and technology applications.

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