Lithium is used as a mood stabilizer in drugs that treat mental health issues. It was used in 7-UP when the drink first came out in the 1920s.Today we often think of it as a key compenent in rechargeable lithium batteries. The following experts discuss these and other uses for lithium in this Element of Surprise segment: Victor Snieckus, Emeritus Bader Chair of Chemistry, Queen's University (one of the most respected synthetic organic chemists in the world), and Yaser Abu-Lebdeh, Senior Research Officer, NRC's Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre.

From the Curio.ca streaming audio-visual collection.