Spruce Pine, Global Chokepoints, and the Future of Manufacturing

Ed Conway, a journalist and author focusing on the raw materials that shape civilization, discusses the crucial role of Spruce Pine, North Carolina, in the global supply chain for ultra-pure quartz used in semiconductors. He reflects on the near disaster caused by Hurricane Helene and its implications for manufacturing vulnerabilities. The conversation highlights the urgent need for disaster preparedness, the risks of relying on singular resources, and how challenges in quartz production could spark global innovations and better industry resilience.