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Ed Conway shares unexpected stories from the modern world through his Substack publication, Material World.

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Ras Tanura and Ras Laffan are vital yet vulnerable energy hubs in the Persian Gulf, recently closed, highlighting their geopolitical significance in global energy supply.
The post emphasizes the critical role of salt in civilization and the alarming decline of its production in the UK, prompting reflection on domestic manufacturing versus imports.
The post discusses the significance of rare earth metals, highlighting their essential role in modern technology despite their relatively small market size. It explains how these elements, particularly neodymium, are crucial for v...
The text discusses the decline of the chemicals industry in Teesside, particularly the closure of Sabic's Olefins 6 'cracker'. The author reflects on the historical significance of the industry and the impact of its decline on the...
The text discusses the impact of Donald Trump's trade war on the American staple, Campbell's Soup, and its connection to Britain's trade agreement with America. It explains the complexity of making steel for tin cans and how the c...
The text discusses the state of British Steel, the last remaining site for blast furnace steelmaking in the UK, and its impending nationalization. It highlights the challenges faced by the steel industry, including carbon emission...
The text discusses the author's experience in researching materials for a book, focusing on aluminium and its importance in various industries. The author describes the process of making aluminium and the unique features of the Lo...
The text discusses the historical echoes of the Ukraine minerals deal, comparing it to a similar deal made by FDR with Britain during World War II. It highlights the forgotten side of history, the principles Britain agreed to when...
The US is heavily reliant on Canadian crude oil, despite being a major oil producer itself. This is due to the specialization of American refineries in heavy oils, while American shale oil is light and high quality. The US remains...
The text discusses the technological revolution in batteries, focusing on the changes in the battery's shape and the advancements in anode technology. It explains the movement of lithium ions in batteries, the importance of the an...
The text discusses the history of caliche mining in the Chilean desert, its importance in the production of mineral nitrates, and the continued mining of caliche despite the availability of synthetic substitutes. It also highlight...
The text discusses the history of the Panama Canal, including the treaties and events that led to its construction and control. It also explores the possibility of building a canal in Nicaragua as an alternative to the Panama Cana...
The text discusses the myth that kerosene saved the sperm whales from extinction, and explains that crude oil did not save the whales. It provides a detailed history of the use of sperm whale oil and how it led to an increase in w...
The author promised to write a series of posts documenting the world’s lost materials, but after a single post, he decided to retire the series because he found that we haven't really run out of any minerals. He discusses various ...
The text discusses the hopeful chart of solar power capacity and the concerning chart of coal consumption in China. It highlights the link between the two and how the global transition to green technology is still heavily dependen...
Spruce Pine, North Carolina is a small town that plays a crucial role in the global economy by producing high purity quartz sand used to make silicon wafers for semiconductors and solar panels. The town has been affected by Hurric...
Nicolas Leblanc, an 18th-century French doctor, won a competition to turn salt into soda ash, a chemical essential for making soaps, dyes, and paper. Despite his success, he never received the prize money and lost his plant. His i...
The text discusses the implications of the UK closing its last remaining blast furnaces and the shift to electric arc furnaces for steel production. It addresses the concerns about the country's ability to produce 'virgin steel' a...
The author discusses the concept of lost materials and the scarcity of certain materials. He introduces the concept of lost materials and discusses the scarcity of malachite, a crystalline copper ore. The author explains the histo...
The author discusses his experience as a TV reporter visiting various factories and workplaces, and how the most interesting information often gets left out of the news. He talks about a visit to a factory in Oxfordshire that prod...
The text discusses the importance of a chart on state aid from the OECD, which shows how much help Chinese companies receive from their government. It explains that the chart is crucial in understanding the rapid deindustrializati...
The text discusses the increasing importance of copper in the modern world, particularly in the context of BHP's attempt to take over Anglo American. It highlights the challenges in copper mining and the growing demand for copper ...
The text discusses the importance of energy in modern economics, focusing on the historical significance of energy in Britain and the impact of North Sea oil on the country's economy. It highlights how the UK was once an energy su...
The text discusses the comparison between Elon Musk and Henry Ford, focusing on the impact of the Ford Model T on the adoption of motor vehicles and the potential role of Elon Musk in making electric vehicles affordable. It also h...