Silicon

Deep Purple, In Rock, and other items

Silicon is produced by heating sand (SiO2) with carbon to temperatures approaching 2200°C.


Sulfur

A Year without Summer

Volcanic eruptions produce ash, but, even more important, they produce vast aounts of aerosols in the form of sulfuric acid droplets, which stay suspended longer than ash and produce long-lasting effects on climate. Eruptions can sometimes blow material into the stratosphere, where it can be carried over great areas.


Cadmium

From 1817 for 100 years Germany was the only important producer.

Should you feel the need, Cadmium is about the only element that can be used you can used as indelible yellow paint for cars.


Erbium

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Helium

No Laughing Matter

After Hydrogen came Helium, so is fittingly also the second most abundant element in the Universe.

Together with Hydrogen, in our Universe at least, that was pretty much it for a long while. I imagine that maybe it was for 4 of the 6 days god worked, or something like that.