It’s straightforward to persuade ourselves that we now reside in a dematerialized ethereal world, dominated by digital startups, synthetic intelligence, and monetary providers.
But there’s little proof that we have now decoupled our economic system from its churning starvation for assets. We’re nonetheless reliant on the merchandise of geological processes like coal and quartz, a mineral that’s a wealthy supply of the silicon used to construct laptop chips, to energy our world.
Three current books goal to reconnect readers with the bodily actuality that underpins the worldwide economic system. Every one fills in darkish secrets and techniques concerning the locations, processes, and lived realities that make the economic system tick, and divulges simply how tragic a toll the supplies we depend on take for people and the surroundings. Learn the total story.
—Matthew Ponsford
The story is from the present print challenge of MIT Expertise Evaluate, which is on the theme of Construct. Should you don’t already, subscribe now to obtain future copies as soon as they land.
Should you’re within the minerals powering our economic system, why not check out my colleague James Temple’s items about how a US city is being torn aside as communities conflict over plans to open a nickel mine—and the way that mine may unlock billions in EV subsidies.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to seek out you at present’s most enjoyable/vital/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.
1 Blacklisted Chinese language companies are rebranding as American
In a bid to swerve the Biden administration’s crackdown on nationwide safety issues. (WSJ $)+ The US has sanctioned three Chinese language nationals over their hyperlinks to a botnet. (Ars Technica)
2 Greater than half of automobiles offered final yr have been SUVs
The big autos are main contributors to the local weather disaster. (The Guardian)
+ Three often requested questions on EVs, answered. (MIT Expertise Evaluate)
