Rare earth may refer to:
*
Rare-earth elements, a group of elements on the periodic table
*
Rare-earth mineral
A rare-earth mineral contains one or more rare-earth elements as major metal constituents. Rare-earth minerals are usually found in association with alkaline to peralkaline igneous complexes, in pegmatites associated with alkaline magmas and in o ...
, a mineral substantively composed of these elements
*
Rare-earth magnet
Rare-earth magnets are strong permanent magnets made from alloys of rare-earth elements. Developed in the 1970s and 1980s, rare-earth magnets are the strongest type of permanent magnets made, producing significantly stronger magnetic fields than ...
, a type of magnet that employs rare earth elements to increase effectiveness
*
Rare Earth hypothesis
In planetary astronomy and astrobiology, the Rare Earth hypothesis argues that the origin of life and the evolution of biological complexity such as sexually reproducing, multicellular organisms on Earth (and, subsequently, human intelligence) ...
, the theory that complex life in the universe is exceptionally rare
* as a proper noun:
** ''
Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe'', a book by Peter Ward and Donald E. Brownlee
**
Rare Earth (band), an American musical group
**
Rare Earth Records, a subsidiary of Motown Records which produced rock music
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