Bismuth is an unusual element that we don't encounter much in everyday life. But this pretty, iridescent metal, found near ...

Ram Mohan looks at how bismuth — a remarkably harmless element among the toxic heavy metals in the periodic table — has sparked interest in areas varying from medicinal to industrial chemistry.

Admittedly, we have a pretty low bar for that kind of stuff, but eye candy aside, [Robin Debreuil]’s quick outline of his technique for desoldering with the help of bismuth is worth watching.

The adsorption speed was over six times faster than that of traditional resins, offering significant advantages in separating ...