# What are some surprising facts about technology?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-surprising-facts-about-technology/723273>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 23, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-surprising-facts-about-technology/723273 "2015-06-23T19:59:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2015, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-surprising-facts-about-technology/723273/61 "2015-07-07T05:31:53Z")

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> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#):
>
> Modern semiconductors are made with the third-most common element on Earth, doped with some of the very rarest.

“rare earths” aren’t rare. It’s a misnomer: it means that it is rare to find them in concentrated form.

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