Material World

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How not to use your time as an energy superpower
Some countries use their energy riches to invest for the future and support the next generation. Then there's what Britain did.
22
No, Elon Musk is not our Henry Ford
The 21st Century's Henry Ford is someone you've probably never heard of. And that raises some other, even more interesting, issues...
12
The Original "White Gold"
Why salt is just as relevant for the 21st century world as it was for our ancestors
2

March 2024

Latest from the Material World
A brief update...
2

January 2024

Further Reading
Some recommendations for those who want to burrow deeper into the Material World
6

December 2023

The Hump
In the coming years we will dig and blast more stuff from the earth's surface than ever before. "Peak stuff" won't be with us for some time...
4
This isn’t just about fossil fuels. It’s about something MUCH bigger
If you think the debate on ending fossil fuels is simple, try for a moment to see how this all looks to poorer nations
2

November 2023

Nobody said this would be easy
Across various sectors, businesses are realising that getting to net zero might be considerably harder than they initially assumed
19
Globalisation is a far, far bigger deal than you think
What an obscure factory in the English Midlands tells you about the way the world works
9

September 2023

Jan Czochralski: the forgotten hero of the silicon age
Today's silicon chips are all made using a technique invented by this scientist more than a century ago. But his life ended in ignominy and tragedy
1
What the concrete crisis in UK schools teaches us about climate change
Today's wonder materials occasionally turn into tomorrow's time bombs
4

August 2023

Moving Beaches
The intriguing story of the mostly invisible (and often illegal) trade in beaches. Yes, beaches.
1
© 2024 Ed Conway
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