You've Never Heard of the World's Most Common Mineral

The most common substance in the world is literally IN the world. It's a mineral called bridgmanite, and it belongs to a class of minerals (called perovskites) that scientists are trying to use in the next generation of solar panels.

Hosted by: Hank Green (he/him)

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[lukerogers]

Material scientist here. Another cool application of perovskites is Barium Titanate (BaTiO3). The titanium ion is slightly too small for the box it sits in, so when it's in an electric field, it displaces from the centre and the material electrically polarises. This is what allows our capacitors to store so much charge and has meant they can be seriously miniaturised. Any electronic you own wouldn't be that compact without perovskites.

[underspring]

I actually made lab-grown lead perovskite for solar panel research back in 2014-16!! Love seeing this :)

[Nikanuur]

ah yes, the 2 kinds of chemistry
1. inventing useful chemicals
2. figuring out how to make said useful chemicals without lead

/joke

[AroundTheBlockAgain]

I understand why the "no lab-grown minerals, you gotta find one in nature" rule exists, but dang... that's ruthless.

[Jimera]

Taking the phrase "the most common substance IN the world" very literally lol

[junovalerio]

This was my sister’s thesis topic! She made and tested a bunch of perovskite solar panels. It’s cool stuff!

[kai]

Both Scishow and Kurzgesagt uploading about the deep Earth - on the same day - is pretty awesome

[TheTexas]

Mineralogists are also weird for having name a mineral “cummingtonite” without thinking “hey this might be a problematic name”

[TBomb]

Spent my entire graduate career studying and synthesizing perovskites for PV applications. My project was to circumvent the problems with common lead halide perovskites by replacing lead with bismuth. However bismuth’s oxidation state is +3 while lead is +2. In order to balance the molecule we replaced one of the halides with a chalcogenide (in our case sulfur) making what’s called a split anion Perovskite.

[task_under_rubblestone]

Crystallography is way more intense then certain crystal enthusiasts make it seem

[chen]

so you literally go 666 kilometers down directly to LITERAL HELL for a near unlimited source of energy? Nice try UAC

[Oceanblue_Art_]

I took a single geology class eight years ago and was able to correctly guess that this mineral was going to be a silicate, I'm so proud of myself

[ronaldgarrison]

I had to watch a little to be sure, but I could swear the video editing is much better than it used to be. I don't see those annoying jump cuts and such any more. This change is much appreciated!

[Aloddff]

This subject activates a special part of my brain. I love perovskites

[Flynbourne]

I just find it incredible that even though we can’t ever physically check what’s down there we still have all sorts of amazing tests which can tell us what’s there. It is quite amazing.

[michealwestfall]

I mean we still use lead acid batteries. As long as we make the lead solar panels with the express intention of reusing the lead, like making it the manufacturer's responsibility of recollecting the panels at their end of life stage and getting heavily fined if they don't, it'll be fine.

[anansimoss]

"We would never succeed in drilling down to anywhere near the upper mantel" you mean you're not adding this mineral to the Rocks Box Subscription? Come ON, Hank. I'm disappointed in you

[AreHan]

You are definitely the best and funniest of the SciShow presenters! 👍🏾

[SkyHawk]

It sounds to me like perovskite solar panels might end up being the solar panels space infrastructure end up using even if the lead issues don't get solved, so long as the 'degrade when exposed to light' ones do. Very little water vapour or free-floating oxygen there and anyone in a position that means the potential expose to lead is a problem likely has much more severe immediate issues to worry about. Such as 'exposed to either lunar dust or the vacuum of space with no protective equipment'.

[lIII]

So there are different types of perovskites? Please do a video on pros and cons of different perovskites!!!