[Dr. Sivana]

Read the article, about a thousand words, and not one mention as to why its running out, or where its mined.

The article also does not really tell us why we need it. We can live without osmium jewelry and watches.

So, I asked the Perplexity AI for a list of PRACTICAL uses:

Fountain pen nib tips
Instrument pivots
Electrical contacts
Phonograph needle tips (historically)
Catalysis: Osmium compounds, particularly osmium tetroxide, (important in pharmaceutical manufacturing.)
Microscopy and Forensics: Osmium tetroxide is a critical staining agent in electron microscopy, enhancing the contrast of biological samples by binding to lipids. It is also used in forensic science for fingerprint detection.
Optics and Space Technology: specialized mirror coatings in scientific instruments and space-based UV spectrometers.
Medical Implants
Nanotechnology


Now some of these have viable alternatives (a diamond needle is superior for phonograph records, for instance). But medical implants and electron microscopes sound like great uses.

[Not_Who_U_Think]

I read the summary on Wiki, there a several sources - South Africa, Columbia, Russia and Canada. It’s found in Nichol and platinum ore and in a few placer deposits.

I can’t understand, why with several deposits, we could be running out - much less predicting an end date.

Why, this is just fake news put out by Big Osmium!

[Farmerbob]

[...Fountain pen nib tips]

Will there be a black market for stolen pens like there is for catalytic converters? Might explain why I can’t keep a pen at work for more than a few days.