Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Scientists Put A Smartphone In A Blender To Show Us Exactly What Goes Into Our Precious Devices

Scientists Put A Smartphone In A Blender To Show Us Exactly What Goes Into Our Precious Devices
@PlymUni, @GSwazy_/Twitter

Most of us shudder at the thought of harm coming to the $1,000 glass bricks on which we store our lives, but a curious group of scientists at the University of Plymouth decided to reduce a smartphone to dust just to find out what was inside. And they are hoping people will start to pay attention to what they found.


Look around these days and you will find a smartphone in the hands of almost every man, woman or teenager out there, but despite their ubiquity, the average user probably doesn't know much about what makes the devices we are so dependent on work, and even less about what is inside of them.

Geologists at University of Plymouth are hoping to change that.

With the demand for the rare earth minerals used by high-tech devices increasing, Dr. Arjan Dijkstra and Dr. Colin Wilkins from Plymouth's School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences wanted to know more about minerals used in smartphones and just how much of each were packed in there.

The project was a success, but their chances of getting insurance to replace the phone aren't looking too good:

What's in a smartphone?www.youtube.com

To really break down what was inside the phone, Dijkstra and Wilkins first had to break open the phone, and they were far from gentle about it.

After blending the phones to shreds, the researchers reduced what was left to dust in a 500°C furnace so they could perform a chemical analysis.

Although the elements they found didn't surprise them, the quantity of each made them stand up and take notice.

Along with more common minerals like aluminum, copper and iron, the phone contained 900mg of tungsten, 70mg of cobalt and molybdenum, 160mg of neodymium and 30mg of praseodymium.

It's these rarer elements that Dijkstra and Wilkins are hoping consumers will start paying attention to.

"We rely increasingly on our mobile phones but how many of us actually think what is behind the screen? When you look the answer is often tungsten and cobalt from conflict zones in Africa," says Dijkstra. "There are also rare elements such as neodymium, praseodymium, gadolinium and dysprosium, not to mention quantities of gold, silver and other high value elements. All of these need to be mined by extracting high value ores, which is putting a significant strain on the planet."

With a better idea of what is inside their phones and what it takes to obtain these elements Dijkstra and Wilkins are hoping consumers will help push manufacturers towards more sustainable practices.

"Mining can be part of the solution to the world's problems. But we are now in a climate where people are becoming more socially responsible and interested in the contents of what they are purchasing," said Wilkins.

The other half of the solution according to the researchers is increased recycling rates for old phones. The more rare elements that can be reused, the less need there will be to mine more. Fortunately we may already be moving in that direction.

"Partly on the back of this, several of the major mobile phone companies have committed to upping their recycling rates," said Wilkins. "It is a positive sign that the throwaway society we have lived in for decades is changing."


The project may not have done the phone any favors, but Dijkstra and Wilkins' wacky experiment certainly got people talking.







Although many just felt bad for the poor phone.





As far as "breakdowns" go, blending did seem a bit harsh.





But it wasn't without good reason.




All things considered, sacrificing one phone in the name of science seems pretty worth it. With data in hand, Dijkstra and Wilkins also seemed to have accomplished their other goal, getting more people to recycle their old phones.






Now the only question is are they eligible for a free upgrade?


More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Jesse Watters
Fox News

Jesse Watters Dragged After Adding Another Mind-Boggling Rule For 'Real Men'

Fox News host Jesse Watters, who is apparently an authority of what it means to be a manly man, gave jazz hands to make a point about how "real men" should or shouldn't wave.

The target of his ridicule was Tim Walz, the enthusiastic Democratic Minnesota governor and vice presidential candidate who often greets the public by raising both hands in the air to wave.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of crowd at town hall and Rep. Mike Flood
@MorePerfectUS/X; KETV NewsWatch 7

GOP Rep. Goes Viral For His Response To Crowd Chanting 'Tax The Rich' At Town Hall

Nebraska Republican Representative Mike Flood was criticized following his incredulous response to a crowd that chanted "Tax the rich!" during a town hall meeting.

The Columbus High School auditorium hosted the town hall on Tuesday evening, drawing "nearly 380" attendees, according to local network KETV Omaha. The event was lively, with Flood facing both sharp criticism over Trump administration policies and some appreciation for showing up in person.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Awkward Typo In Elon Musk's Bizarre 'Education Department' Trump Meme Is A Total Self-Own

Billionaire Elon Musk was widely mocked after he celebrated President Donald Trump's executive order to begin to dismantle the Department of Education (DOE) by posting a meme of Trump at the department's grave, only for an awkward misspelling to get all the attention.

Polling indicates that eliminating the Education Department is largely unpopular, with 60% of registered voters opposing the move, according to a Quinnipiac University survey conducted March 6-10. Support stands at 33%, with opposition particularly strong among Democrats—98% oppose it, while just 1% support it.

Keep ReadingShow less
JB Pritzker; Donald Trump
Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Dem Governor Reveals Trump's Bonkers Demand In Exchange For Equipment During COVID

Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker revealed during a speech this week that he clashed with President Donald Trump during the first Trump administration after Trump promised necessary medical equipment during the COVID pandemic on the condition that Pritzker praise him publicly.

Five years ago, the United States was grappling with the initial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country had entered shutdowns that had severe economic consequences, leaving businesses and industries on the brink of collapse.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scrabble tiles spelling the word scam
Scam spelled with scrabbles on a wooden table

People Break Down How They Realized An Entire Industry Was A Total Scam

We unfortunately live in a world where scams are on the rise.

Thankfully, some of them are pretty easy to detect, such as an automated call from the IRS telling you a warrant is out for your arrest, or an email claiming to be from Amazon or the USPS asking for your credit card information, only to look closer and see the email address is a yahoo account.

Keep ReadingShow less