Rare Earth metals like neodymium are used in devices you use every day, like ear buds, computers and flat screen TV's. It's also a critical component in hybrid engines and wind turbines. The element is not rare, as the name implies, but the bulk of the world supply about 90-percent - is currently mined in China. Host Ben Kieffer talks with two scientists at the Ames Lab about research and development related to rare earths and why federal officials are holding hearings and closely monitoring rare earth exports.
