Gallium is a soft, silvery metal that is known for its unique property of melting just above room temperature. This means that it can easily melt in your hand! Discovered in 1875 by the French chemist Paul Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran, gallium is often used in electronics, particularly in the production of semiconductors and LEDs. One interesting fact about gallium is that it does not occur in its pure form in nature; instead, it is usually found in trace amounts within ores of aluminum and zinc. Its ability to form alloys with other metals makes it valuable in various industrial applications, including solar panels and high-temperature thermometers.