10 Remarkable Uses For Silicon

(via Listverse) Silicon, one of the most important elements of recent times, is a vital component of high-powered integrated circuits and plasma-assisted lasers. Throughout history, the brittle, metal-like solid has been put to a multitude of fascinating uses, even prior to its discovery in 1824 (some sources say 1823). As the eighth most abundant element in the universe by mass, it accounts for a significant portion of the world we live in.