1 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:16,560 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to What Goes Up, a Bloomberg Weekly 2 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: Markets podcast. I'm Sarah Ponzach, a reporter on the Cross 3 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 1: Asset team, and I'm Joel Weber, the editor of Bloomberg 4 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:26,120 Speaker 1: Business Week, filling in for Mike Reagan and maybe trying 5 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: out first job. It's great to have you here. Mike 6 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: feels a bit threatened at the moment that Mike's off 7 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 1: for the week. But this week on the show, we're 8 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 1: going to do something a little bit different. Think of 9 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: it as a special edition podcast in honor of a 10 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,559 Speaker 1: special edition Business Week magazine issue. This year marks the 11 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: one hundred and fiftie anniversary of the periodic Table of Elements, 12 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 1: and the team we have joining today set out to 13 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 1: make the case for why it matters more than ever. 14 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: We'll talk about the elements, commodities across the spectrum, and 15 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 1: mine for hence regarding where we are in the economic cycle. 16 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: To the nerds, this when literally goes out to all 17 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 1: the nerds in the world. Um, we got really carried 18 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:10,320 Speaker 1: away with this idea early in the year and we 19 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: decided that we wanted to go full nerd give it 20 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,680 Speaker 1: one whole double issue. So it is a cover to 21 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: cover special issue. There's content for all eighteen elements in 22 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: the issue. The Nerds appreciate it, the Nerds rejoice, and 23 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 1: as always, will close out the episode with our tradition 24 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 1: the craziest thing I ever saw in markets this week. 25 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 1: But we're also going to do that with the twist. 26 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: But Joel, I think we should leave the listeners hanging 27 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: for now. Okay, but as always, remember we do have 28 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: our very own podcast hotline. That number is six four 29 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 1: six three to four three four nine zero. Feel free 30 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: to give us a call, ask us any questions, leave 31 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: us a message letting us know the craziest things that 32 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: you guys have seen in markets, and if you're lucky enough, 33 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: we might even play your message on the podcast. I 34 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: can see Joel right here, who has his very own 35 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: podcast Trillions about et s. Eric Baltunas is pretty jealous. 36 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: I'm definitely jealous that you guys have a hotline. I 37 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: also will say if anyone has amazing stories from chemistry 38 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:10,399 Speaker 1: class in high school that relates to the periodic table, 39 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: I want to know about the stuff that went down 40 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: in any chemistry class. But without further ado, I would 41 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: love to introduce our great guests this week. First we 42 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: have Bloomberg Business Weeks Jeremy Keane, who was really the 43 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 1: architect behind this whole issue. That's right. Sorry, I think 44 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: you could call me the chief nerd, if the chief 45 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: nerd chief nerd, and I definitely call you chief nerd. 46 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: Joel has described you as a walking talking person the 47 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: periodic table full table. I did, yeah, no, I you know, 48 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 1: pick a number and I will have a story QUI 49 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: don't worry. Don't worry, we have a quiz in the 50 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: off thing. But also joining us over in London actually 51 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: is Eddie Vanderwalt of the Markets Live blog, who also 52 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: helped out with issues. So Eddie, thanks for joining us. Okay, 53 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 1: hi guys, thank you very much for having me on. 54 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: Joel I figured it. I'll just start with you, even 55 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:59,679 Speaker 1: though you are doubling as co host this week. Why 56 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: did you guys actually decide to dedicate not just one 57 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: single issue, but a double issue special edition of Business 58 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: Week to the periodic Table of elements. So one of 59 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 1: the things we try to do business Week is take something, 60 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: um that seems like I forgot about it. It It was 61 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: in chemistry class, and you can kind of revisit things 62 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:20,640 Speaker 1: like that. And we try and do that through the 63 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:23,639 Speaker 1: lens of business. And one of the things that we 64 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 1: know about when you work at Bloomberg is that you know, 65 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: we were just obsessed with markets. Commodities are a huge market, 66 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: and when you actually think about the periodic table of elements, 67 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: not with a chemistry class in mind, but a business one, effectively, 68 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: we were talking about commodities. So we felt it was 69 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 1: a very creative way to take something that we don't 70 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 1: often talk about in Business Week, commodities, and actually basically 71 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 1: go full Nerd on it. And in doing that we 72 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: were able to like bring stories to life that I 73 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: don't think Business Week usually would touch. And I think 74 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 1: the magic of that was really came from Jeremy, who 75 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: leaned into the table, like I said, full table, and 76 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 1: then managed to find people and stories that make you 77 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: just reappreciate what it means to be a business story 78 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: and a business magazine or a business journalist for that matter. 79 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,559 Speaker 1: I will be the first to admit, especially on this show, 80 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: we typically talk about stocks, we talk about rates, we 81 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 1: talk about FX. When we do talk about commodities, we 82 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:27,120 Speaker 1: usually talk about oil or something of that matter. So 83 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 1: something that really stood out to me in the issue 84 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 1: was one section on elements that go boom and bust 85 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: and this really looks speaking um, But this is really 86 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 1: about metals, and it's an area that we don't typically 87 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: talk too much about. So Eddie, why don't you walk 88 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,359 Speaker 1: me through the different metals that you guys looked at, 89 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: And is it true that these typically don't follow the 90 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 1: same economic cycles as you might imagine for the likes 91 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: of gold or silver that are seen as safe havens. Right, 92 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: it's actually really interesting. We we looked at it. We 93 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 1: looked at a handful of specific examples, but but this 94 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: is really the story of most commodities as they come 95 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:11,920 Speaker 1: and go in and out of fashion. Because you know, 96 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: it's it's really interesting when you look at the periodic 97 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:15,280 Speaker 1: table and you look at you look at the whole 98 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: world around us, the vast quantity of materials and and 99 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 1: and objects that we use day today. There's only you know, 100 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: a hundred odd elements out of which all of this 101 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,280 Speaker 1: is made, and every once in a while, a new 102 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,159 Speaker 1: use is discovered for for a given element. We looked 103 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: at palladium, platinum, rhodium, irridium. These are metals that are 104 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 1: used in small quantities by really big industries. You know, 105 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:43,600 Speaker 1: suddenly one day somebody realizes this stuff is useful for 106 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 1: something they've never thought of before. And the first thing 107 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: that happens usually when when that's the case, is people think, wow, 108 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:52,840 Speaker 1: we haven't got enough of this stuff. The world only 109 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 1: produces seven tons, and suddenly it goes into a mobile 110 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:57,640 Speaker 1: phone and we need you know, now we're gonna need 111 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:01,160 Speaker 1: hundreds of tons. So the price shoots up. Then you 112 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 1: see you see this massive reaction. We we've got rhodium, 113 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 1: which I think has had a you know, something like 114 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:09,040 Speaker 1: a six rally in the last couple of years because 115 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 1: it's used in the in the exhaust pipes of of 116 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 1: of cars, and as we want our cars to be cleaner, 117 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 1: they use more and more rhodium, is the is the theory. 118 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 1: Then as the price goes up, then immediately people go 119 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: out and they're like, wow, we've got to you know, 120 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: we used to throw this stuff away, but now we've 121 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:27,720 Speaker 1: we've got to go out and explore and find more 122 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: of the stuff. And then you see the price very 123 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 1: quickly collapse because it's gone up. So you see these 124 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: kind of massive spikes in commodities in all of the 125 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:39,239 Speaker 1: elements from time to time. But these ones, particularly because 126 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 1: they are used by large industries which aren't gonna, you know, 127 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:46,040 Speaker 1: use less of it. People are going to buy cars 128 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 1: they use a tiny amount of palladium in the exhaust pipe. 129 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 1: Even if the price of the palladium goes up, they're 130 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: not going to buy less cars. So you you get 131 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 1: these spectacular cycles. But you see this repeating year in 132 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:01,480 Speaker 1: year out, and then you get people who just kind 133 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 1: of specialize in in spotting those trends early and going 134 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:07,280 Speaker 1: out there and and getting ahead of the curve. So, Eddie, 135 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 1: what are some of the magic qualities that these particular 136 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 1: metals have. So your platinus vir palladiums, they they're part 137 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 1: of the platinum group metals. They are precious metals. So 138 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 1: they are precious because they they they are noble metals. 139 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: They don't they don't rust and so on. What you 140 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: tend to see with them is with the platinum group 141 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 1: metals in particular, which include the iridium and rhodium and 142 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 1: a few others, they are useful as catalysts. So what 143 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 1: we use them for is in the exhaust of a car. 144 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 1: We would we would normally admit toxic gases, but What 145 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: happens if you if you code part of your exhaust 146 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: with platinum or with palladium, is you can transform that 147 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 1: gas into a into another gas in a really quick way, 148 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 1: just you know, purely as it passes through this catalytic converter, 149 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:56,680 Speaker 1: and you end up with instead of carbon monoxide and 150 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 1: Knox gases, you end up with carbon dioxide, which is 151 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: which is still harmful, but not not as toxic warm 152 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: in the world. You know, at least you're not maybe 153 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,119 Speaker 1: killing people. You know, you're not getting giving people asthma 154 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 1: and so on. And they used in slightly different ways, 155 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: and as the price differential between the various metal shifts 156 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: will use more of one and you know less of 157 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: the other. But it does, it does create fairly spectacular 158 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 1: rellies and beautiful charts. Jeremy flash quiz, what's the atomic 159 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 1: number for rodium? Oh no, it's I knew it was 160 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:37,439 Speaker 1: the mid forties. I couldn't pin it down. But actually, 161 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:40,720 Speaker 1: I mean, looking through all these different elements on the table, 162 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 1: when you think about the big industries that are out 163 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 1: there today, does anyone or do a couple stand out 164 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:50,440 Speaker 1: as you as really being heavily in demand for the 165 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: industries of today or the industries of tomorrow, and the 166 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 1: elements themselves. Well, um, you know, certainly silicon remains awfully 167 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:01,960 Speaker 1: popular for reason. And see you would expect computer chips 168 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 1: and and uh and they're um, you know, gold is 169 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: also not only used in jewelry, but it's important. It's 170 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 1: a component in phones. Um. You know, we talked about 171 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,079 Speaker 1: how for the Tokyo Olympics that are coming up next year. 172 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:19,560 Speaker 1: The story had no idea. Yeah, they're they're they're making 173 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:23,199 Speaker 1: the gold medals, silver medals, bronze medals out of materials 174 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:25,839 Speaker 1: recovered from phones. And part of the part of that 175 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:29,079 Speaker 1: is because the Japanese just have a culture of actually 176 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: recycling stuff and trying to have second life for things. 177 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:35,160 Speaker 1: And so this was a huge government backed rally to 178 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:39,280 Speaker 1: basically be like bring out your your old phones. Unbelievable, 179 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 1: and they scavenged metal from it. Right, Yeah, is awareness 180 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 1: and get to your metals. It's also revealed a little 181 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 1: secret about the gold medal itself, which is that it's 182 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: not actually like fully made of gold. It's like the 183 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:55,200 Speaker 1: most minimal amount of gold possible. It's nine or something 184 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 1: and the rest is silver. Gold medal is mostly silver. 185 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:17,760 Speaker 1: W Eddie, I want to come back to you just 186 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:20,400 Speaker 1: because I have to bring it back to markets in 187 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 1: a sense. I mean, this past week we did get 188 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 1: I s M manufacturing numbers in the US showing contraction 189 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: for the first time since And one quality of the 190 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:32,679 Speaker 1: markets that we have been seeing lately is this unbelievable 191 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 1: rally in gold and in silver. I mean, when you 192 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:39,439 Speaker 1: look at these medals right now that many market participants 193 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:42,559 Speaker 1: do very much pay attention to. What are they telling 194 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 1: you about investor sentiment or the economic cycle. Oh, I'm 195 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:50,400 Speaker 1: so glad you asked me. That is really my home turf. 196 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 1: Look gold. The interesting thing with gold is that it 197 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:59,959 Speaker 1: is it is useful, Bob. We use a little bit 198 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 1: of industry. A little bit goes into your mobile phone, 199 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 1: a little bit goes into your air bag in your car. 200 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:09,760 Speaker 1: And the reason it does is it is the best 201 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:13,080 Speaker 1: at doing what it does. But other metals can do 202 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 1: the same thing, they just do it cheaper. But you 203 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 1: don't want something cheap triggering your air bag in your car. 204 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 1: You want the thing that's reliable. So in those kind 205 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 1: of critical instances they use it. But at the right 206 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:27,079 Speaker 1: price point, we would be using gold as a conductor 207 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:30,920 Speaker 1: in almost everything, but because it's more expensive, we tend 208 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:33,719 Speaker 1: to use copper. So the fact that there's always this 209 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 1: potential underlying demand for gold makes gold useful as an 210 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:40,960 Speaker 1: investment and a store of value because I can buy 211 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:44,640 Speaker 1: this stuff. I know, even if investment demand completely falls away, 212 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 1: I will always be able to find a buyer if 213 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 1: the price goes low enough. Right. But because it's so useful, 214 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 1: that opens up the door for it to be used 215 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 1: as this kind of squasi monetary as asset. But if 216 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 1: you think about all of the elements in the periodic table, 217 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 1: what they have in common is they are you know, 218 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:07,200 Speaker 1: they are real. There are in on the you know, 219 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: on the planet that we live on. There's there's there's 220 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:11,600 Speaker 1: finite quantities of them. We have to you know, expend 221 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 1: energy to get hold of them. So they are in 222 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:19,599 Speaker 1: a sense immune from inflation. When people worry about inflation, 223 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:21,959 Speaker 1: you could put some of your money in this kind 224 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:25,040 Speaker 1: of real staff. And what people are worried about right 225 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 1: now with ultra relose monetary policy is you know that 226 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:33,200 Speaker 1: potentially so we've got we've got low interest rates and 227 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:36,320 Speaker 1: we've got high relatively high inflation. In fact, what we 228 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 1: have is is low real rates, and that's the perfect 229 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: environment for a metal like gold, for any of these 230 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:45,840 Speaker 1: elements really. But what makes gold useful, more useful than 231 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:50,160 Speaker 1: say lead to store your value in, is that gold 232 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: is more expensive, it has a higher value to density. 233 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 1: So you can store loads of money in a little 234 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 1: bit of gold, and that's what made it useful as 235 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 1: a monetary asset over time. At the moment, what people 236 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: are worried about is they worried about low real rates 237 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 1: and that that going forward, monetary policy is going to 238 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:10,440 Speaker 1: stay loose. And that's why you've got guys like Ray 239 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:15,280 Speaker 1: Dalio and you know, these kind of really heavyweight investors, 240 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:17,480 Speaker 1: and they are and they just they're throwing man money 241 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:20,200 Speaker 1: at it. We've seen e t f s, we've seen 242 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:22,720 Speaker 1: solid inflows like I haven't seen in a few years, 243 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 1: and that's why prices are up. How much did you 244 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 1: guys actually think about or talk about and look into 245 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:31,640 Speaker 1: how investors can participate in these types of markets because 246 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 1: typically you think, okay, you have the physical commodity of 247 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:37,640 Speaker 1: futures your ETFs, or maybe you invest in a country 248 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:39,720 Speaker 1: or a global economy that could benefit I mean, what 249 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: are the pathways, um? You know, in some cases. We looked, 250 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:46,000 Speaker 1: for example, at the hydrogen economy via Norway, where the 251 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:49,560 Speaker 1: country has really um kind of backed it and um 252 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: there are certain companies that are involved that you know, 253 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 1: investors could certainly invest in. We also published something about 254 00:13:55,880 --> 00:13:58,320 Speaker 1: how to Guy that Eddie wrote along with a few 255 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:02,560 Speaker 1: other authors, on how commodities traders do their job, especially 256 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 1: a certain brand of adventuresome one who will go out 257 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:08,840 Speaker 1: to minds and see how small quantities of in this case, 258 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 1: rhenium can be extracted from a mine in Chile. So 259 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:14,559 Speaker 1: you know that was that was certainly part of it, 260 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 1: and we kind of we you know, we profiled some 261 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 1: smaller companies that are doing interesting things. We did a 262 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:23,360 Speaker 1: feature on Assault company in Oregon that's privately held but 263 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 1: you know, could be an interesting play for someone. Um. 264 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:31,040 Speaker 1: We looked at cold Brew nitro cold brew coffees and 265 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 1: how how small companies are doing that and some of 266 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:37,040 Speaker 1: the chemistry of that. We looked at a company that's 267 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 1: doing radioisotope generation called north Star UM, which you know 268 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 1: that that's a process that they have the only market 269 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 1: on doing a medically necessary thing that the US government 270 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:52,080 Speaker 1: has placed a priority on. So there's all sorts of 271 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 1: little tidbits like that, I think throughout the issue. One 272 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:56,640 Speaker 1: of my other favorite little tidbits is an element that I, 273 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 1: frankly I had never heard of, or if I had 274 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 1: heard of it, and chemistraateutually forgot about it, Uh, lutetium, 275 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 1: which is an ingredient and a clock. There's an effort 276 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 1: to try and make the world's most accurate clock. And 277 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:11,840 Speaker 1: if you, if you want to step forward a couple 278 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: of steps about that, because somebody else already has in 279 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:17,320 Speaker 1: the finance world, no doubt, someone's already already there before you. 280 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 1: You think about the implications that has for finance, where 281 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 1: milliseconds would really really matter. And uh, one of the 282 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 1: hedge funds that seems to have some interest in in 283 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 1: sort of this space is Renaissance. Who's found us? But 284 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 1: the Lutetian clock, Jeremy, what's the significance of why lutetium 285 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 1: performs so well? There? Well? And the story is actually 286 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: about essentially a race among the elements. So you know, 287 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 1: you can't exactly place a place of future is bet 288 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:47,480 Speaker 1: on on you know which one you think will will 289 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 1: come out in front, But um, right now that can 290 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 1: mostly for the for the moment, they're being done out 291 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:58,600 Speaker 1: of government agencies. But as you say, there are companies 292 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 1: with a vested interest particular ones, and the leading efforts 293 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 1: right now are one spot lower on the table. Attribum 294 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: is being done out of Colorado, and we looked at 295 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:12,400 Speaker 1: one of the competing elements being investigated out of Singapore, 296 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:16,440 Speaker 1: lutetium and but aluminum others are being used in the 297 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 1: ideas that you can measure the vibrations of these atoms, 298 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 1: and the way that you measure the vibrations lets you 299 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 1: calculate things to a very precise um to nanoseconds essentially um, 300 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 1: and that has implications for GPS, it has implications for trading, 301 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 1: for all these other things. And the it just depends 302 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 1: on you know, a particular atoms ability to insulate itself 303 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:46,160 Speaker 1: from distractions essentially from temperature from um. But somebody bumping 304 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: a table in in the next room, Um, you bump 305 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 1: that off, your accuracy is gone. Well, it's extremely interesting. 306 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 1: I guess I may even call it crazy. But this 307 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:58,760 Speaker 1: time around for our craziest thing I ever saw on markets, 308 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 1: we're all going to go around to uh pretty quick 309 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:03,720 Speaker 1: fire around on the craziest thing we actually think is 310 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 1: on the periodic table of elements. So Joel, why don't 311 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 1: why don't you kick us off? That was not the 312 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:11,639 Speaker 1: question that I was prepared for. But I have I 313 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:13,560 Speaker 1: have a story that actually brings me back to Eddie 314 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:16,720 Speaker 1: because Eddie and I have had this ongoing email chain 315 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:20,280 Speaker 1: for a couple of years relating to gold, which is 316 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 1: a little hobby of Eddie's as he as he mentioned earlier. 317 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 1: So and as you know, Sarah, you've been a guest 318 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:28,400 Speaker 1: on Trillions before. I have a little side hobby um 319 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 1: talking about e t f s on our podcast with 320 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 1: Eric Baltus All Trillions, Uh. In the process of learning 321 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:39,119 Speaker 1: about gold ETFs, we learned that, you know, there's a 322 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:43,640 Speaker 1: vault that basically stores the gold that is the underlying 323 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 1: value associated with the e t F And being a 324 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:50,200 Speaker 1: journalist and when that primarily works in magazines, I always 325 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:52,600 Speaker 1: try and put a photo hat on and be like, oh, 326 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 1: that'd be an amazing photo. I want to see golden vaults. 327 00:17:57,320 --> 00:17:59,359 Speaker 1: I would go so far as to say it's impossible. 328 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:02,159 Speaker 1: So Eddie can probably attest to this, but at various 329 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:05,639 Speaker 1: moments in time, we've found vaults of gold and I've 330 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:09,679 Speaker 1: invited the people who are stewards have said gold to 331 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:11,840 Speaker 1: put a bag over my head to like, let me 332 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:14,199 Speaker 1: go in. I don't need to know where the vault is. 333 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:16,359 Speaker 1: I don't need to see the door of the vault 334 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:18,040 Speaker 1: or the combo on it. I just want to see 335 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:20,639 Speaker 1: the golden the vault. Um. It's a standing offer. If 336 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 1: anybody has access to one of these vaults and would 337 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 1: like to let me do that, I would love to 338 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 1: see it. But to date I have seen no gold 339 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:29,000 Speaker 1: in said vaults. We'll see if you have any luck 340 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 1: going forwards totally, Eddie, why don't you go next? So 341 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:35,280 Speaker 1: I've got to say, I've got to say working on 342 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:37,280 Speaker 1: this issue and then reading it when it was done 343 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 1: was one of the funnest things I've done in absolutely years, 344 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:42,760 Speaker 1: and the reason being I thought I knew a lot 345 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:46,159 Speaker 1: about you know, metals and about commodities in general, but 346 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:49,399 Speaker 1: there's so many you know, niche metals that you that 347 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 1: you don't hear about and so on. But my favorite 348 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:55,360 Speaker 1: by far was gallium. And the reason I chose gallium 349 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:59,479 Speaker 1: is because gallium it is a solid room temperature, but 350 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:02,159 Speaker 1: it's a quid at body temper. You know this was 351 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:06,160 Speaker 1: going to be mine too. Store. Let's see, let's see 352 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:07,760 Speaker 1: if I can top you there. Let's see, let's see 353 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 1: what you were going to bring to the table and galleon. 354 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:13,119 Speaker 1: But it's not just that because because it changes, it 355 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 1: fluxes if you were to pick it up. People say 356 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 1: that in the you know, Chemists a few years back, 357 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:21,920 Speaker 1: it made cutlery from it, and they would they would 358 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:23,879 Speaker 1: use it to play tricks on one another, like I 359 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 1: don't know, like a Gary Larson cartoon, and they make it, 360 00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:28,359 Speaker 1: they make a knife for a spoon. I took this 361 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 1: back to my to my guy Anthony Lippman, and I 362 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:32,480 Speaker 1: talked to him about this. He actually stopped by the 363 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:36,240 Speaker 1: other day and I talked about this, and he said, yeah, 364 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:39,639 Speaker 1: but you know what people think, this is how Uri Geller, 365 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:43,240 Speaker 1: you know, the magician, This is how he did He's 366 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:51,120 Speaker 1: bending spoon thing. Yeah, I feel like inside the magician's 367 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:53,240 Speaker 1: in a circle at this point. It'd be a huge 368 00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:56,000 Speaker 1: commitment to magic my view. When I thought of Galllet 369 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:57,520 Speaker 1: and I feel like, it's like you're a superhero. You 370 00:19:57,520 --> 00:19:59,200 Speaker 1: can hold metal on your hands and you can make 371 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:02,080 Speaker 1: it melts the me. How crazy is that? But Jeremyson's 372 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:04,800 Speaker 1: Eddie stole my thunder. Anyways, why don't you give us here? Well, 373 00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 1: I can. That actually reminds me of one that my 374 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 1: father in law told me about nitt and all um, 375 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 1: which is a nickel titanium blend that has shape memory, 376 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:16,639 Speaker 1: so at a certain temperature, it will reconstitute itself as 377 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 1: say a coil um. And you know, it has very 378 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:23,160 Speaker 1: specialized uses, but it's not that widely used, partly because 379 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 1: it's such a specialist thing to do. But it looks 380 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:27,719 Speaker 1: really cool on YouTube. But that wasn't actually the one 381 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: that I was going to pick. I was gonna pick 382 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:33,200 Speaker 1: a story about naming rights, which um, you know they 383 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:36,960 Speaker 1: and that's what the element one of six Seaborgium um. 384 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 1: It's one of the synthetic elements, which we did a 385 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:42,600 Speaker 1: big story on on how uh it's sort of became 386 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:46,679 Speaker 1: inefficient to smash atoms together to create synthetic elements. But 387 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 1: there was a period in time when it was really 388 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:51,200 Speaker 1: important to national pride during the Cold War. There was 389 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:53,560 Speaker 1: a U S Lab at Berkeley led by Glenn Seaborg, 390 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:56,760 Speaker 1: after whom this element is named, and they got really 391 00:20:56,800 --> 00:20:59,679 Speaker 1: good at it. They invented or they discovered more of 392 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: the new elements that have been added over the last 393 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:05,160 Speaker 1: seventy years than anyone. But then a Russian lab got 394 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:07,439 Speaker 1: in on the game, West German lab gun in on 395 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:09,280 Speaker 1: the game, and there started to be sort of an 396 00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:11,439 Speaker 1: arms race to like get your own square on the 397 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:14,400 Speaker 1: periodic table, and there was a lot of disputes over 398 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 1: who actually created you know, element one o four, who 399 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:20,560 Speaker 1: created element one oh six and uh an international body 400 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: had to be brought in to resolve the dispute. They 401 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: sent scientists to all the labs to say, like, okay, 402 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:28,040 Speaker 1: we think you guys actually discovered it um, so you 403 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 1: get to name it. And some of the elements they 404 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:34,720 Speaker 1: couldn't really figure it out, so they the panel sorted out, 405 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:37,399 Speaker 1: you know, which one would be named after who, So 406 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:41,040 Speaker 1: you got elements like dubnium named after the Russian lab 407 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:44,119 Speaker 1: and um Seaboard. Game was controversial both because it was 408 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:46,560 Speaker 1: named after a living scientist, which was regarded as a 409 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:50,480 Speaker 1: little ghosh um, but also because the body came out 410 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:52,359 Speaker 1: saying you can't do this, we we won't name it 411 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 1: after you, and the US basically said, well to heck 412 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 1: with that, and a powerful chemistry body that published journals 413 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:01,200 Speaker 1: that all this I just wanted to be in stood 414 00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 1: up and said, yep, we're going to keep using Seborg. 415 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:07,239 Speaker 1: Giam and the international community back down and said, all right, 416 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:10,000 Speaker 1: Seborg game it is. So that's now element one O six. 417 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:11,680 Speaker 1: I've got to say, I never really thought about the 418 00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:16,600 Speaker 1: naming of periodic elements before. I'm missing out. I love 419 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:18,919 Speaker 1: that American scientists are like, no, we're putting our foot down. 420 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:22,080 Speaker 1: Yeah we got this one. Oh yeah. And with that said, 421 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:24,639 Speaker 1: if you're interested, you can go out find an issue, 422 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:26,879 Speaker 1: pick up Bloomberg Business Week, and you can read more 423 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:29,520 Speaker 1: about all we've discussed in more Subscribers always welcome. You 424 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 1: can also find the issue at Bloomberg dot com, slash elements, 425 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 1: or if you're a terminal user, go to mag Go. 426 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: Joel Weber, thank you so much for co hosting. Thank 427 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:38,680 Speaker 1: you so much. Mike. I'm sorry that I'm in the 428 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:41,359 Speaker 1: running for your job again. He's scared. He's scared. And 429 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:44,720 Speaker 1: Jeremy Kean, Eddie Vanderwalt, thank you so much for joining us. 430 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:54,439 Speaker 1: Thank you, thank you, guys. What goes up. We'll be 431 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:56,960 Speaker 1: back next week. Until then, you can find us on 432 00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:00,879 Speaker 1: the Bloomberg terminal website and app, or wherever you your podcasts. 433 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:02,920 Speaker 1: We'd love it if you took the time to rate 434 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 1: and interview the show on Apple Podcast so more listeners 435 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:08,760 Speaker 1: can find us, and you can find us on Twitter. 436 00:23:09,119 --> 00:23:13,400 Speaker 1: Follow me at at Sarah Pontack, Mike is at Reaganonymous, 437 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:17,000 Speaker 1: Joel Webber is at Joel Webber Show, and check out 438 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:20,359 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Business Week at b W. You can also follow 439 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:24,159 Speaker 1: Bloomberg podcasts at podcast What Goes Up is produced by 440 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:27,639 Speaker 1: tiber Forehead. The head of Bloomberg Podcast is Francesca Leavie. 441 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:29,680 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, See you next time.