There are quite a few examples of materials on Earth more expensive than gold. From glittering diamonds to shiny rhodium‚ the world’s precious natural resources can fetch high prices. But what about iridium?What is iridium?Iridium is a chemical element that has the atomic number 77 and is classed as a transition metal. Iridium is solid at room temperature. The name Iridium is said to come from the Greek word Iris meaning rainbow which represents the strongly colored compounds rather than the metal itself according to the Royal Society of Chemistry.  Like gold‚ iridium is pretty unreactive and has a very high density and melting point. In fact‚ iridium is the most corrosion-resistant element within the Periodic Table. Iridium sits in the middle of the transition metals - number 77.Image Credit: Sandbh via Wikimedia Commons CC BY 4.0Who discovered iridium?English chemist Smithson Tennant is the person most credited with discovering the element – however many people‚ including French chemists H.V. Collet-Descotils‚ A.F. Fourcroy‚ and N.L. Vauquelin are likely to have come across iridium roughly around 1803 in platinum ores‚ reports LiveScience. The metal was found by dissolving platinum in aqua regia‚ a mixture of very strong acids. What is iridium used for?Given the high density of this metal‚ the rare pure form of iridium is rarely used – indeed‚ the rare form might not even exist in nature. Most iridium-containing ores only contain a small percentage of iridium and can be found in South Africa‚ Alaska‚ Brazil‚ Myanmar‚ and Russia. Instead‚ the material is combined with platinum to create alloys that are typically 5-10 percent iridium. These alloys are then used for jewelry‚ the points of pens‚ surgical metals‚ and electrical contacts according to Britannica. How expensive is iridium?At the time of writing‚ Iridium is $4‚500 an ounce‚ whereas gold is roughly $2‚082 an ounce. Time to check those ballpoint pens! All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text‚ images‚ and links may be edited‚ removed‚ or added to at a later date to keep information current.  

If you're not excited about 2024 yet‚ this video is certain to fill you with optimism and inspiration for the coming year. NASA has shared a video outlining the space exploration missions they have in store for 2024 – and oh man‚ it’s going to be an action-packed year. There will be the launch of bold new missions to explore the Moon‚ such as VIPER‚ a rover that will search the lunar surface for ice‚ water‚ and other potential resources. There’s also the ongoing Artemis Missions‚ which will pave the way towards humans returning to the Moon after 2024. Further afield‚ NASA is planning to launch the Europa Clipper mission‚ a valiant effort to explore Jupiter’s Moon Europa‚ a possible habitat for extraterrestrial life. Back home on Earth‚ don’t forget there will also be a Total Eclipse across North America.        These are just a small snippet of the missions NASA has set for 2024‚ not to mention those carried out by the European Space Agency‚ JAXA‚ China National Space Administration‚ and others. Check out the full reel of planned missions in the video player above.Here's to 2024‚ onward and upward. 

There’s something truly magical about the unexpected friendships that blossom between humans and animals. Take this enchanting story‚ for instance‚ where a man’s life is forever transformed by a tiny egg he rescues after a tosrm‚ which eventually becomes a magnificent swan. This touching tale shows the deep connections that can form across species. Imagine... The post Kind man rescues an abandoned egg and becomes ‘swan dad’ for life appeared first on Animal Channel.

We often think of our loyal friends as those who stand by us through thick and thin. But did you know‚ animals too have each other’s backs in times of need? Their instincts guide them‚ knowing exactly when to step in or step back. It’s a common belief that dogs and cats are natural enemies.... The post Dog sees cat best buddy getting in fight and his hilarious ‘rescue’ melts hearts appeared first on Animal Channel.

In the picturesque New England countryside‚ there’s a gentle giant named Tommy‚ a colossal Brown Swiss steer. Originating from the Alps‚ Tommy’s breed is known for being the heavyweights of the dairy world‚ and he’s living up to that reputation in style. Tommy’s journey began when Fred‚ a farmer with a talent for raising calves‚... The post Farmers thought brown cow they rescued is “like any other” until it didn’t stop growing appeared first on Animal Channel.

When a reporter lobbed a softball at President Joe Biden‚ the president took the opportunity to demand further adulation from the media.  Biden on Dec. 23 fielded a question about how he feels about the economy in 2024‚ telling a reporter‚  “All good‚ take a look‚ start reporting it the right way.” The president‚ clearly unsatisfied with the slavish coverage of his presidency from legacy media outlets‚ called for help from his allies at NBC‚ ABC‚ CBS‚ CNN‚ MSNBC‚ The New York Times and The Washington Post‚ as if these outlets haven’t been spinning the news for Biden already.  Since the president chose to overlook the media’s zealous work on his behalf‚ here is a small collection of moments when the media tried to paint a brighter economic picture of the Biden presidency. For example‚ in June The Washington Post put out an article carrying water for the president‚ noting that the president and his staff “have long been frustrated that the president is not getting more credit for an economy that by many measures is thriving.”  Not to be outdone‚ CNN provided overwhelmingly positive coverage of the Biden economy or “‘Bidenomics‚’” frequently giving voice to concerns that voters didn’t properly appreciate how good the economy was.  Several other media outlets have featured articles blaming an ungrateful American public for Biden’s terrible economy. This includes a New York Times column by Paul Krugman‚ who whitewashed Biden’s economy while criticizing Americans for their low opinion of Bidenomics.  From the left coast‚ a Los Angeles Times columnist Doyle McManus also weighed in to defend Biden’s economy and scourge American voters for failing to appreciate it. McManus wrote‚  “The challenge for Biden and his campaign strategists is how to persuade unhappy voters not only that better times are ahead‚ but that he deserves some credit.” McManus put the focus not on struggling Americans‚ but on the complete mystery of how Biden cannot sell what McManus called a “freakishly good” economy to an ungrateful public.  Earlier this year‚ Michael LaRosa‚ former Press Secretary to First Lady Jill Biden‚ wrote an op-ed titled “Biden should stop focusing on the economy.” Mr. President‚ the press can’t make the public see what isn’t there.  Conservatives are under attack! Contact CNN at 404-827-1500 and demand the outlet tell the truth about how terrible Bidenomics has been for the U.S. economy.

President Joe Biden signed on Friday the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act‚ which included a pro-free speech provision effectively prohibiting the Department of Defense from contracting with radical leftist entities that discriminate against right-leaning media. Hours later‚ however‚ Biden invoked a George Soros-tied Supreme Court case to hint at his potential rebellion against the provision he just signed into law. “While I am pleased to support the critical objectives of the NDAA‚ I note that certain provisions of the Act raise concerns‚” Biden whined‚ drawing attention to Section 1555(a) of the NDAA. Specifically‚ the provision prohibits the Pentagon from doing business with NewsGuard‚ the infamous Internet traffic cop‚ and the Global Disinformation Index‚ the blacklisting rag‚ among others who would use taxpayer dollars to censor. You May Also Like: Clock Is Ticking! NDAA Calling Out NewsGuard Awaits Biden Signature Biden claimed the Pentagon “will comply with this provision by requiring recipients of such contracts to certify that they will not place the Department’s advertisements based on the enumerated grounds.” But here’s the caveat. Biden cunningly warned that the Pentagon will also comply with the “First Amendment‚” claiming that the government cannot force entities — in this case‚ NewsGuard and GDI — to adopt a specific ideological belief.  Most strikingly‚ Biden cited a distantly analogous and readily distinguishable case brought by the Soros-funded Alliance for Open Society International to defend his take. The Court held in that case that the federal government “may not use funding and the threat of the loss of funding as a method for the regulation of speech and policies of non-governmental organizations.” MRC Free Speech America Vice President Dan Schneider torched Biden’s pledge to usurp the pro-free speech provision by citing “one of the biggest censors” in the world as “his get out of jail card.”  Schneider said‚ "The U.S. Constitution prohibits the government from censoring political speech; likewise government cannot collude with private companies to violate the First Amendment. Several courts already rebuked and ordered him to stop colluding with Big Tech. Congress has also stepped in to pass a law to force Biden to comply with the Constitution. It appears nothing will deter Biden from using government to silence his political opponents.” Biden hinted that it will continue to instruct advertising firms to place ads on left-wing media outlets. The president’s opposition to the provision came after Senate Democrats pushed back on the original language of the prohibition‚ which explicitly barred the Pentagon from funding and doing business with NewsGuard. Both NewsGuard and GDI have blatantly discriminated against right-leaning media and those who dare to oppose the Biden administration’s approved talking points. However‚ the NDAA specifically declared that the Pentagon cannot “place advertisements in news sources based on institutional political preferences or biases‚ or determinations of misinformation.” Related: EXCLUSIVE: Rep. McCormick Champions Push to End Dystopian Censorship Industrial Complex‚ Touts MRC Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency‚ clarity on hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

The most obvious retort to people who forced out New York Times editorial page editor James Bennet for publishing an op-ed by Republican Sen. Tom Cotton was the parade of Times op-eds by dictators and terrorists. Remember "What We‚ The Taliban‚ Want"? Now it’s happened again.  The Times ran an op-ed Sunday (on Christmas Eve!) by Hamas’s handpicked Gaza City mayor — prompting outrage on social media from Israel supporters. Gaza City hasn't had an election in 18 years. The essay by Yahya R. Sarraj was titled “I Am Gaza City’s Mayor. Our Lives and Culture Are in Rubble.” The Times made him sound like a respectable academic‚ not a Hamas stooge: “Dr. Sarraj is the mayor of Gaza City and a former rector of the University College of Applied Sciences there.” Israel was scorched‚ and naturally‚ there was almost no mention of October 7‚ no mention of hostages held: The Israeli invasion has caused the deaths of more than 20‚000 people‚ according to the Gaza Health Ministry‚ and destroyed or damaged about half the buildings in the territory. The Israelis have also pulverized something else: Gaza City’s cultural riches and municipal institutions. The unrelenting destruction of Gaza — its iconic symbols‚ its beautiful seafront‚ its libraries and archives and whatever economic prosperity it had — has broken my heart. Sarraj noted he was appointed (by terrorists): "One of my major goals after the Hamas administration appointed me mayor in 2019 was to improve the city’s seafront and foster the opening of small businesses along it to create jobs." But the Times allows him to pose as Mr. Nonviolence:  The Gaza Zoo has been destroyed‚ with many of its animals killed or starved to death‚ including wolves‚ hyenas‚ birds and rare foxes.... Why did the Israeli tanks destroy so many trees‚ electricity poles‚ cars and water mains? Why would Israel hit a U.N. school? The obliteration of our way of life in Gaza is indescribable. I still feel I am in a nightmare because I can’t imagine how any sane person could engage in such a horrific campaign of destruction and death....I call on the world’s municipalities — everyone — to pressure world leaders to stop this mindless destruction. "Mindless destruction" is a more appropriate term for Hamas slaughtering whole families in the kibbutzes and mowing down young people attending a concert for peace. Sarraj concluded by attempting to play on geopolitical naivete: "Why can’t Palestinians be treated equally‚ like Israelis and all other peoples in the world? Why can’t we live in peace and have open borders and free trade?" Did the war Hamas brought out of Gaza look like an argument for "open borders"? The New York Times doesn't care if these articles make sense. They only want to demonstrate the range of opinion they'll publish....where Republicans are too offensive‚ and Hamas and the Taliban are granted a platform. 

Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a classic that never goes out of style! Perfect to enjoy with friends and family and always a hit. Pineapple upside-down cake is an old-fashioned classic that has been around as long as I can remember. My mother made this cake for every picnic‚ potluck or gathering and it was...

Failed Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson recently found herself stopped by her own reasoning concerning the right to a fair trial after podcast host Tim Pool applied it to the case of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. On the Dec. 21 episode of the "Timcast IRL" podcast‚ Pool and Williamson discussed various sensitive topics‚ including the surge of illegal immigration under President Joe Biden's watch‚ critical race theory‚ late-term abortions‚ and Democratic efforts to prevent the electorate from casting votes for former President Donald Trump. Late in the conversation‚ they broached the subject of fair trials and judicial bias‚ particularly as it concerns those Jan. 6 protesters given relatively extreme sentences. Pool‚ who noted both a dearth of "far-left extremists" similarly rotting in jail and concerted efforts by the "corporate media" to pre-emptively convict rightists in the court of public opinion‚ focused in particular on the treatment of Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio‚ who was not at the Capitol on Jan. 6‚ 2021‚ but was nevertheless sentenced to 22 years in prison. The host suggested the lengthy sentence was not the result necessarily of something Tarrio had done but rather due to who he is. "I think they are sending him to jail because he's a prominent Trump supporter and the chair of the Proud Boys‚" said Pool. Williamson questioned whether there was indeed a "massive conspiracy" among the jury members in Tarrio's trial and in others like his‚ prompting the host to question whether Washington‚ D.C.‚ where 93% of the electorate voted Democrat in the last presidential election‚ could ever produce a jury free of substantial partisan bias. "I think we are‚ in essence‚ a purple nation in our hearts‚" replied Williamson. "And I think people are interrogated before they are allowed to sit on a jury‚ and if they say things that are clearly prejudicial‚ then they are not allowed to sit on that jury." The Democratic activist added‚ "We can agree that people should be ... held fairly accountable and that the legal system should be fair to everyone." Drawing upon an audience question‚ Pool asked Williamson‚ "Would you agree with black people people being sentenced to long prison sentences if the jury determines that's what should happen?" Despite her stated faith in the jury system‚ Williamson acknowledged that it's not always perfect‚ as some jury decisions "are fair‚ some of them are obviously unfair‚ but it's the best that we have." Pool pressed the issue further‚ asking‚ "Do you think like a jury of white people from a wealthy suburb are going to be fair ... to like a black man accused of selling drugs?" "That's why often it is‚ you know‚ there's a movement for a case to be tried elsewhere for that reason‚" responded Williamson. "I mean‚ that's part of the system that one can argue that this person could not get a fair trial in this area." Pool then asked whether it would be acceptable if a judge indicated that "a fair trial would not be possible‚ so we're going to do it here anyway." "I don't think that would be right. And somebody would be petitioning somebody‚" said Williamson. "I mean‚ even in those cases‚ there is such a thing as judicial prejudice. Someone would be arguing for judicial prejudice. ... I would be the first to say‚ 'This is wrong.'" The host then put it to Williamson: "So will you stand up in defense of Derek Chauvin?" Williamson was visibly stunned by the question‚ muttering‚ "Uh‚ wow." After repeating Chauvin's name‚ Williamson fell silent‚ held her head‚ and looked off blankly to the side with mouth agape. Chauvin's defense attorney attempted to change the location of his murder trial in March 2021‚ arguing that a jury pool would be greatly influenced by the then-recent news of Minneapolis' settlement with George Floyd's family‚ reported NPR. "You have elected officials — the governor‚ the mayor — making incredibly prejudicial statements about my client‚ this case‚" said defense attorney Eric Nelson‚ reported the MinnPost. "You have the city settling a civil lawsuit for a record amount of money. And the pretrial publicity is just so concerning." "I do not think that that would give the defendant any kind of a fair trial beyond what we are doing here today‚" responded Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill. "I don't think there's any place in the state of Minnesota that has not been subjected to extreme amounts of publicity on this case." Cahill previously admitted he was "a little shocked" when two jurors admitted the Floyd-Minneapolis settlement "did move them off being fair and impartial." "I was surprised that it had such an effect‚" said the judge. One of the jurors was seen in photos taken before the trial wearing a BLM baseball cap and a T-shirt that said‚ "Get your knee off our necks." According to the U.S. and Minnesota constitutions‚ individuals facing criminal prosecution have right to trial by an impartial jury. After puzzling over Pool's question for a moment‚ Williamson attempted to defend Judge Cahill's decision‚ suggesting it was an "overriding circumstance." "Wasn't there some legitimacy to that given the fact that everybody saw the video?" said the Democrat. "So how could there be a lack of prejudice anywhere?" "So the question is about the Constitution and what is fair in the court of law‚ not what we want to have happen because of our feelings‚" said Pool. "So if the issue is the issue is a judge says‚ 'There will be no fair trial for you‚' my argument is that there's no trial at all and the man should be released because that's a limitation of our democratic system." Williamson‚ who tried her hand at becoming the president of the U.S. in 2020‚ ultimately disagreed with the host's suggestion that a fair trial is necessary for a court to imprison an American citizen. Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder‚ third-degree murder‚ and second-degree manslaughter in spring 2021 and sentenced to 22.5 years in prison. He was stabbed 22 times last month at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson‚ Arizona‚ by a former FBI informant. — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!