The next series of planes commissioned by the Pentagon will not have pilots.
I learned this from a CEO who, because of his company's products, is constantly in talks with companies like Boeing, Raytheon, Lockheed, and the like.
"It's all about materials," he said.
Every day, we're discovering not only new materials and compounds; but also abundant new uses for them.
Take the Nobel Prize in Physics, awarded last year for research on graphene — a one-atom-thick film of carbon that could hold the key to everything from massive data storage on tiny devices to flexible touch screens.
And graphene isn't alone...
For the past few years, the market has been infatuated with materials.
Lithium companies ran (and continue to run) up thousands of percent:
And then rare earth metals took off:
Last week, I told you about beryllium. This week, I have another metal to tell you about — along with the one stock you need to own to profit from it.
And again, it's all about materials.
The Best Thing Since Lithium
Lithium was attractive because of its ability to improve battery storage. And that was enough to allow some investors to retire. But the high-tech industry is so over lithium.
It's discovered vanadium.
It has many uses, but vanadium is best suited for batteries. Take a look at how it stacks up against lithium:
A lithium battery only lasts 3-5 years before it has to be replaced. A vanadium battery can be charged and discharged over 35,000 times, giving it a lifespan of over 35 years.
Vanadium can also charge and discharge simultaneously, can release energy instantly, and is ideal for both transportation grid applications.
In other words, it's the new holy grail of battery materials.
Look at what industry insiders are saying:
Without a doubt, vanadium is growing into one of the world's most important metals about which no one has ever heard.
— John Hykawy (Ph.D., MBA), materials analyst, Byron Capital Markets
Companies are wasting no time embracing the technology.