The Mineral The Future Is Built On

The Mineral The Future Is Built On

Cobalt is the most important mineral of the future. It’s a key part of lithium-ion batteries, which power cell phones and laptops, not to mention electric cars. That demand is giving rise to a mining industry in Idaho, which sits atop a giant cobalt deposit. But the environmental costs of extraction raise questions about what “clean energy” really means.


Guest: Michael Holtz, freelance journalist and author of “Idaho Is Sitting on One of the Most Important Elements on Earth.”


If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avsnitt(2356)

Trump’s Anti-Trans Agenda

Trump’s Anti-Trans Agenda

Trump and his allies in the House’s flurry of anti-trans legislation and executive orders will soon run into both the law and the reality that our institutions like the military really rely on trans p...

3 Feb 202528min

The DeepSeek Panic

The DeepSeek Panic

The artificial intelligence industry was thrown for a loop when the Chinese start-up DeepSeek rolled out a product that was more energy efficient, cheaper to produce, and open source. Where did DeepSe...

2 Feb 202522min

Bonus | Main Character Syndrome: Deepseek

Bonus | Main Character Syndrome: Deepseek

Did the Chinese artificial intelligence start-up Deepseek just blow up the A.I. world as we know it? Or is it just a cheap knock-off?Guest: Lizzie O’Leary, host of the Slate podcast What Next TBD.This...

31 Jan 20253min

RFK Jr. Is a Feature, Not a Bug

RFK Jr. Is a Feature, Not a Bug

Tapped by Trump for the role of health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presents himself as someone willing to say what other politicians won’t. But during his Senate confirmation hearings, both Democ...

31 Jan 202523min

Was Tulsi Gabbard Always Like This?

Was Tulsi Gabbard Always Like This?

Tulsi Gabbard’s political career is truly singular: once a young progressive Democrat on the rise, then a gadfly taking surprise meetings with Bashar al-Assad, now she’s Donald Trump’s nominee to head...

30 Jan 202525min

Trump’s DIY Government Shutdown

Trump’s DIY Government Shutdown

Trump’s Office of Management and Budget sent a memo directing federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to … disbursement of all Federal financial assistance,” which threw everythi...

29 Jan 202524min

Who Will Mourn DEI?

Who Will Mourn DEI?

The Trump administration’s fight against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs is underway, and it’s proving to be even broader and further-reaching than anticipated. What’s at stake for thes...

28 Jan 202526min

Trump’s Gift to Militias

Trump’s Gift to Militias

Between Trump’s broad pardon for January 6 rioters and Facebook loosening restrictions on its platforms, it’s looking much easier for militia groups like the Oathkeepers and Proud Boys to recruit memb...

27 Jan 202524min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

aftonbladet-krim
svenska-fall
p3-krim
rss-krimstad
fordomspodden
flashback-forever
motiv
aftonbladet-daily
rss-sanning-konsekvens
blenda-2
spar
rss-expressen-dok
rss-krimreportrarna
rss-vad-fan-hande
svd-ledarredaktionen
olyckan-inifran
rss-frandfors-horna
rss-flodet
dagens-eko
krimmagasinet