Aluminum

I was amused by this piece in SLATE about aluminum. I love the qualitative nature of value, how aluminum was a status metal a few centuries past because the extraction technology for it wasn't fully there, yet, which made it precious. The image of aluminum ingots next to crown jewels is awesome, especially when contrasted with its ubiquity today. Love that. Mmmm, stack of aluminum ingots!

SLATE's "blogging the periodic table" is a good series.