Yttrium, terbium, erbium and ytterbium were all named after one small town on the Stockholm archipelago. But it could have been different, and there could have been many other names. From a snowy bit of Sweden, and a mine that’s a historical landmark, let’s talk about discovery, chemists, and a man named Gadolin.
Thanks to Paul (@cr3) on camera, and to @de_isja, @Ekkelos, @chemician and Chris Armstrong for proofreading the chemistry in the script!
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