War cycles - cycles that govern human social interaction on a grand scale, cycles that can be quantified and used to forecast periods of peace and war, periods of civil unrest and international conflict - are now ramping up and converging in the worst possible combination of forces not seen since the late 1800s. In the process they are setting the stage for gold and silver to explode higher with gold going up to well over $5,000 an ounce a few years from now … silver to more than $125 an ounce … and mining shares, to the moon.

Remember the game Musical Chairs? It seems that investors on Wall Street have been playing this game recently, as more and more we are seeing signs that the current bull market may be reaching its final stages. Each new sign that appears represents just one more chair being taken away from the game. The question investors need to ask is "where will I be when the music stops"?

This infographic neatly covers many interesting bitcoin facts in a digestible form. It not only shows the versatility of the bitcoin market, but it also captures the difference of opinion on crypto-currencies: many embrace the technology, but some institutions show signs of hostility.

We are monitoring three developing situations that we believe could have a profound impact on gold demand during the remainder of the year -- driving forces that could provide impetus for a classic gold run that could begin with a summer surprise.

Acquisitions are a huge part of driving the tech industry forward. They bring in new ideas, fresh talent, proprietary technologies, and much more. We’re only half way through 2014 and we have already seen major players shake up the tech industry through mergers and acquisitions. The Big 4 of the tech world (Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Google) all have made very important acquisitions, and some may even change the world. Let's take a look at the details in this extremely informative infographic.

No one knows when gold and silver will rally and anyone who says otherwise has already been proven wrong. Despite a decent rally in both gold and silver over the past 7 trading days, a look at the charts shows that both remain in bear market conditions overall with no defined indication of ongoing strength.

The latest 94-page In Gold we Trust report from Incrementum AG is must reading for anyone interested in gold and its likely future path. Here is a 1-page executive summary.

Fracking has had profound effects on the energy industry, so far mostly in the U.S., where it has created oil and gas booms in non-traditional places, moved the country closer to energy independence, and resulted in a huge reduction in the cost of energy, particularly natural gas. What is fracking? It's a technique used to extract oil and gas from previously inaccessible underground shale (rock) formations. Here are 5 more things about fracking.

The benefits of being able to detect a bubble, when you are in its midst, rather than after it bursts, is that you may be able to protect yourself from its consequences. [Below are possible] mechanisms to detect bubbles, how well they work and what to do when you think a particular asset is in one.

This is Part 4 of an excellent 5-part series of infographics (links to the previous 3 are provided below) on various aspects of gold.