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For this week’s element we enter the globe of science fiction to explore life in outer space. The number of atoms of the element per 1 million atoms of the Earth’s crust. This is calculated by combining the scores for crustal abundance, reserve distribution, production concentration, substitutability, recycling price and political stability scores. Silicon is non-toxic but some silicates, such as asbestos, are carcinogenic. Workers, such as miners and stonecutters, who are exposed to siliceous dust can develop a serious lung disease named silicosis. The element, when ultrapure, is a solid with a blue-grey metallic sheen. The function of nanotechnology...