Some elements get all the attention: glittering gold, radioactive uranium--materials we call "precious" because they are so rare. But what could be more precious than the building blocks of life--from the oxygen in our air to the carbon in all living things?

In The Elements We Live By, physicist and award-winning author Anja Royne reminds us that we'd be lost without the quiet heroes of the periodic table. Our bodies need phosphorous to hold our DNA together, potassium to power our optic nerves, and many more elements--in just the right amounts--to function. Other fundamental elements keep our technology (and society) running: Our phones contain arsenic, boron, and gallium to control signals and store information; indium and tin for the touch screen; and lithium for the battery.

Everything is made of elements--every galaxy, star, and planet--from the iron in Earth's core to the silicon in its sand. But that doesn't mean the elements we rely on will never run out; for example, about half of the lithium we need is extracted from rocks in Australia, and the other half is from saltwater in Argentina and Chile. As Royne travels the world to find where these elements exist (some in ever-shrinking amounts), she shows how vitally urgent it is for us to protect them--the elements of our very existence.

Author: Anja Royne
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Experiment
Published: 06/09/2020
Pages: 224
Weight: 0.8lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.70w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9781615196456


Review Citation(s):
School Library Journal 04/01/2020 pg. 74

About the Author
Røyne, Anja: - Anja Røyne, PhD, is a scientist and lecturer in the department of physics at the University of Oslo. A physicist with a background in solar energy, Røyne has also researched geological and geochemical processes and is now working on creating materials with biotechnology. In addition, she runs her own science blog, has shared her expertise in newspaper and radio programs, and frequently gives popular science talks.