"The big problem probably will hit with the very scarce metals or semimetals that are used in semiconductors, superconductors, LED's and that sort of thing, or platinum," he said.

The mayor of New York convinces a popular actor, Alvah Gustad, to negotiate an agreement with the muckfeet: technology in exchange for their scarce metals.

Molybdenum, rhodium, neodymium and palladium are relatively scarce metals, while manganese and vanadium are, like phosphorus and sulfur, fairly abundant for minor minerals.

Many items have been used as money, from naturally scarce precious metals and cowry shells through cigarettes to entirely artificial money, called fiat money, such as banknotes.

Other potential obstacles include the fact that the process now requires palladium, a scarce metal.

And so, more than any material aid in scarce metals or new genetic strains, we can most help the home planet by serving as a way for you to see yourselves.

Platinum is also among the world's scarcest metals, according to the New York Mercantile Exchange, with most of the world's mines in two countries, South Africa and Russia.

Were we successfully to sign agreement with his firm, we could no doubt replace many present metals, quite scarce, with plastics.

Following the war she returned to ceramics, which were being used to replace scarce metals in buttons and jewelry for fashion designers.

The American military needed tungsten, a scarce strategic metal used for hardening missiles.