Your backyard could hold a rare earth fortune – and this orange lichen is the clue

Next time you spot a vivid orange-yellow crust spreading across a rock in your garden, on a country wall or along a hiking trail, take a closer look – you might be standing on a fortune. A Chinese research team has found that a humble lichen could serve as a visible field indicator of unknown rare earth deposits around the world. The researchers said the lichen’s distinctive colour made it easy to spot on exposed rock, and the discovery could be combined with unmanned aerial vehicles and...