Where The Most Important Part Of Your Battery Comes From

image credit: Gilles Péris y Saborit cc
Lithium is kind of a big deal. It powers everything from our gadgets to our cars - really our entire modern world. And that's not changing any time soon; some analysts estimate that demand could grow up to 25% over the next several years.
But how does one harness the power of a metal that bursts into flame every time it gets wet? How do you even get it out of the ground?