About

This dry range in the above photograph is near Gabbs, Nevada.

I remember stopping at a bar in Gabbs on a Saturday night in October 1993. We were low on gas, having foolishly skipped a possibility to fill up at Walker Lake. We’d been driving all day. In the deserted gravel lot, the sky was freezing black and spangled with stars.

I drank a beer and talked to the only other patron — a grizzled Vietnam veteran who worked at the molybdenum mine. The word molybdenum sounded strange, exotic. In 1993, the price of molybdenum was in free fall, and in 1994, it would reach a low of $3,510 per metric ton ($1.59 per pound). The mine was laying off workers and was in danger of closing.

In a world with blogs on every conceivable topic, molybdenum, element #42 seems a natural choice. As the posts come out, the somewhat eclectic scope of my interest in this metal should gradually become apparent.

I also write oklo.org, a site covering extrasolar planets, which are my professional research interest.

Disclaimer

Nothing on this site should be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell any specific security nor as a solicitation of an order to buy or sell any specific security. Before making any trade for any reason you should consult your own financial advisor. The author may hold long or short positions in any of the securities discussed either before or after publication of an article mentioning such a security.