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Happy 2026!

Let’s face it: Rare Earths have a PR problem.

They are too anonymous, too unknown given their incredible importance to the functioning of modern society. They are also tangled in one of the biggest geopolitical bouts of the 21st century: the great US-China trade war.

I’m no expert on rare earths, but I think that they ought to get more than the 15 minutes of glory they received back in October 2025.

So I did what any sane person would do in my position: I vibe-coded them into existence as fun collectibles.

Visit the Rare Earthicons Project!

Who are the Rare Earthicons

They are a bunch of 17 cheeky elements that often get into trouble, while still keeping our economy going.

Each Earthicon has their unique personality, their unique story and unique usecases. Like the elements themselves, they can be found nearly everywhere: in the cars we drive, the planes we fly, the iPhones we use to scroll while we’re bored.

I have created 17 of them, one for each Earthicons.

I’ve created the Earthicons to show how much free time I have on weekends as a way to make rare earths more accessible, fun and relatable, to help illustrate just how important they are.

Is this a joke? A bit, but just enough to make you want to (hopefully) learn more.

Rare Earths are serious business, and there is a lot of money and geopolitical capital involved. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a bit of fun with them, right?

What can you do at the Rare Earthicons Project?

Great question. Quite a few things:

Learn the Basics

The Rare Earthicons is a place you can learn the basics of rare earths - where they come from, what they are and where they come from:

You can also explore the entire value-chain:

There’s also an interactive map and a compendium that will show you just how dependent we are on China for the basic things we use:

Take the Quiz

People love personality quizzes. People are addicted to them, dying to know:

• Which famous actor they are

• Which Cheese they are

• Which character from Sex and the City they are

Well, now you can know which Rare Earth you are!

Unwrap Your Year!

Songs? Pfffft.

Now you can tell which element made your year: Was it Cerium? Maybe Lanthanum? Or did you use Neodymium the most? Find out today!

Get Your Own Element

Since I’m on a roll, I decided to provide custom-made rare earthicons to new subscribers of A World Reconfigured!

If you’re interested in one, reach out to me and I’ll make you one!

Here are few I made for some unfortunate souls friends:

So,

hope you liked the Rare Earthicons project, and if you have other crazy ideas I can sink my teeth in, let me know!

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this edition, don’t forget to subscribe or share your thoughts. 🔽

Subscribe now

See you next week!

I usually send out a deep-dive once every two weeks, but last week I’ve been pretty busy with work and life… but also with a cool thing I’ve built with a no-code AI App generator named Base44 (highly recommended!):

Claim Your Arctic Passport!

(if you’re a subscriber already, see below…)

Using AI to bring the Reconfiguration to life

See, writing this substack is fun, but what’s even more fun is bringing the Reconfiguration to life in a fun and engaging way (at least, what I think is a fun and engaging way). I’ve been doing this with AI generated images for a while, and lately I’ve added no-code app generators to my repetoire.

Using these tools, I can easily create stuff that will make you laugh at first, and then hopefully think about how our world is changing. And, also share this publication and help this substack grow 📈

The Kingdom Strikes Back

A few weeks ago I have ascended to the throne of the Arctic Kingdom (it’s easy to do when it doesn’t exist) and proclaimed myself King of the Arctic. You know, just because I can, and because no one else seems to care about the rules.

To make sure I don’t have to do all of the dishes on my own, I have decided to hand out passports to my new kingdom, where you can be a part of something greater than yourself and make a quick buck while you’re at it 💵

Since you are already a subscriber to A World Reconfigured, the kingdom’s official bulletin, you are already eligible for a passport and a citizenship certificate that you are welcome to use:

Arctic Citizenship Certificate

Arctic Passport

What Should You Do With This?

Well, for starters - pack your bags and come visit! You’re practically family now.

Then, your king would appreciate a Linkedin/Twitter share. Our Royal Social Media Manager has already prepared a template for you to post:

Proud to announce I've secured my future by becoming an official citizen of the Kingdom of the Arctic!

As the world melts down, I've locked in prime real estate on humanity's next frontier. Check out my official passport, and get your own here:

https://base44.app/apps-show/kingdom-of-the-arctic-22452a7a

#worldreconfigured #arctic #passport @Arod Balissa

And as always, don’t forget to 👇

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That’s it for now - see you on the next edition of News Reconfigured, delivered to your inbox as usual!