In the modern age, it's pretty hard to discover and lay claim to new sources of minerals, metals and other natural materials. This is why it is a big deal whenever geologists and other researchers hit upon a large source of heretofore undiscovered natural resources -- when Turkey announced the finding of a 694 million-ton repository of rare earths minerals near Ankara, many wondered whether such a discovery could alter the country's economic course and help shift the world away from its dependence on China as the source of rare earth minerals.