A wager for the history books gives us a glimpse into our future

One of the most famous bets in the past half-century — at least among economists — wasn’t about the Super Bowl or a presidential election. No, it was about whether five critical metals would be worth more or less between 1980 and 1990. Really, this was about innovation and how we consume natural resources. Researchers are now looking at this question all over again. What can we glean? Also: a frigid vault to preserve data.