Let’s give the Mighty Maize its due. These days, corn is a bad word. When one says “corn,” others immediately think “corn syrup, candy, soda, SHUGASHUGASHUGA…” But corn is so much cooler…
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A Giant-Sized History of Wheat
“It is time to pay tribute to this strange little grass that has done so much for the human race. Strange is the word, for wheat is a genetic monster.” A typical…
A Giant-Sized History of Soybeans
I write daily about the economics surrounding soybeans and other grains commodities, but I can honestly say I know very little about the HISTORY of soybeans. When were soybeans first cultivated? And…
There’s More To China Than Bruce Lee And Politics
It’s impossible to ignore China when talking about pretty much anything. There’s a lot of fear around trade wars with China and China’s growing global economic power. “Will China topple the US?”…
81 Things You Might Not Know About Robots
Making the transition from Science Fiction to Science Fact… With amazing speed we’ve moved from simple automated machines to robots that simulate laughter, conversation, and friendship. The pace of robot evolution is…
65 Things You Might Not Know About Steel
While many of us associate the introduction of steel into economics with the start of the First Industrial Revolution, steel has actually been around for a VERY long time. Steel has always…
The Big List Of Things You Might Not Know About Platinum
Platinum has a wide range of uses, including jewelry, catalytic converters, electrical contacts, pacemakers, drugs and magnets. But how much do you really know about this “noble metal?” Get ready for some…
58 Things You Might Not Know About Silver
It’s too bad silver has been labeled “Poor Man’s Gold,” because it’s far more useful than gold. Not only is silver a precious metal and recognized form of currency, but it’s also…
The Big List of Things You Might Not Know About Copper
Think solar energy and electric cars are the future? Or maybe not? Maybe coal, oil, and traditional infrastructure are the future and the renewable energy push is just hype? Either way… We’re…
41 Things You Might Not Know About Uranium & Nuclear Energy
Uranium has been in a five-year long price slump with several factors having impacted the decline: The 2011 Fukushima disaster forced Japan to idle its reactors. According to the Nuclear Energy Institute,…