For thousands of years, they lay dormant in the soil until suddenly, they became the driving force behind a technical revolution: rare earths. Researchers drill for new deposits and find more environmentally friendly ways of processing the materials. A fascinating glimpse at cutting-edge research that could make our green technologies of the future even greener. First Broadcast in 2013. Content Provided By Java Films. Any queries, contact us at hello@littledotstudios.com Subscribe to Spark for more amazing science, tech and engineering videos - https://goo.gl/LIrlur Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SparkDocs/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spark_channel/?hl=undefined #treasure #science #rareearth #technology #iphone #iphoneproduction #apple #treasurehunter #engineering