Scarcity and Abundance: changes

Changes on 5 October 2026

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

You can sign up for e-mail. We send an e-mail when we add an element or a chapter. The form is at the bottom of every page and on each element page.
The footer has new links: the table, all elements, the method, the changelog and its RSS feed. The top bar now has only Table and Elements.
The button that changes between light and dark mode is now an icon: a moon or a sun.

Changes on 4 October 2026

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

We no longer show how far the research on an element has gone. The Research lens on the table, the chapter counts and the "not researched yet" notes are gone. On an element page, we list only the chapters that are written. Each page still has the date of its last update.
Every page has a new title and description that say what the page is about. A chapter heading now also gives the element name to screen readers.
When you share a page, the link shows a picture: the element tile with its key figures, the chapter title, or the table.
Each element page has a new section, "Related elements": the ores it comes from, the elements that come from its ores, and its group. In a chapter, the first mention of another element links to its page.
On an element page, the elements named on the scales are now links. An element that is a by-product names its host metal, with a link, at the top of the page.
You can follow the changelog as an RSS feed.
The design system page is no longer on the public site.
We rewrote the text of Hydrogen, Iron and Cadmium, the "Can I eat it?" notes and the site labels in plainer English. No fact, number or source changed.
A share table given in percent no longer shows each share twice.
On a chapter page, the element is now in the top bar, next to the site name. On a narrow screen only its symbol is shown.
A chapter page now has only the date of its last update. We explain on the method page how we check every chapter.
Long element names at the top of an element page no longer break in the middle of the word.
A new design for the whole site. On the table, a quantity now fills each tile from the bottom, on a log scale. We keep colour for the chemical families. On each element page, its figures are on scales next to the figures of the other researched elements. A small diagram of its atom is in the corner of its tile. The site is easier to use on a phone. It has a menu button, and an arrow on rows that scroll sideways.
"Can I eat it?" now has a second answer for the pure element, with its sources. Sodium in salt is a nutrient, but sodium metal burns. Done for Hydrogen, Iron and Cadmium so far.

Changes on 3 October 2026

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

The site is set up: the periodic table, a page for each of the 118 elements, and a list of all elements.
Every element page will answer the same nine questions, one chapter each. They are listed on the method page.
First researched elements: Hydrogen, Iron and Cadmium. Each chapter was written, checked against its sources and audited.
We documented the design system: colours, type and the charts.
Every element page has a picture of its atom: a shell diagram and the orbitals of its outer electrons.
A new chapter on social and political problems: conflict, workers and communities, and who gains and who loses.
Every citation now has the words from the source that support the claim. Point at a citation number to read them.
A new lens on the table: Can I eat it?. Every element has a verdict, a short note and its sources. They are on the element page.
Hydrogen, iron and cadmium have more sources, a longer history with a timeline, and a list of facts.
All text follows ASD-STE100 (Simplified Technical English): short sentences and common words.