What do your tummy ache cure, your eyeshadow and your home sprinkler system have in common? All three involve an iridescent metal called bismuth.

On Nov. 1, 1952, a team of American scientists working for the U.S. military threw the switch on a strange three-story structure codenamed "Ivy …

Gallium is a rare, silvery white element that can pull off one of the coolest parlor tricks on the periodic table. At room temperature, gallium is a …

Martin Frobisher thought he'd hit the jackpot. The year 1576 found this English explorer and legal pirate — he was sanctioned by the crown to plunder …

Armor-piercing bullets, rocket engine nozzles and drill bits for cutting through solid rock are just some of the products made with tungsten, one of …