 Ed Conway is an economics journalist and author of the book “Material World: The Six Raw Materials that Shape Modern Civilization.” 

On today’s show, Ed reveals how three of those often-overlooked materials—iron, copper, and sand—shaped human advancement from the Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution to the digital age. And he talks about what they mean for our future.

Ed Conway is an economics journalist and author of the book &ldquo;Material World: The Six Raw Materials that Shape Modern Civilization.&rdquo; On today&rsquo;s show, Ed reveals how three of those often-overlooked materials&mdash;iron, copper, and sand&mdash;shaped human advancement from the Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution to the digital age. And he talks about what they mean for our future.

Every week on What's Your Problem?, former Planet Money host Jacob Goldstein talks with entrepreneurs and engineers tackling the biggest challenges at the forefront of technology. How do you make a trip to space as routine as a plane flight? How do you turn solar energy into clean fuel? How do you use AI to stop deadly infections before they spread? We hear a lot these days about how the world is getting worse. What's Your Problem? learns from the thinkers and doers trying to make our future better.

iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.

Every week on What's Your Problem?, former Planet Money host Jacob Goldstein talks with&nbsp;entrepreneurs and engineers&nbsp;tackling the biggest challenges at the forefront of technology. How do you make a trip to space as routine as a plane flight? How do you turn solar energy into clean fuel? How do you use AI to stop deadly infections before they spread? We hear a lot these days about how the world is getting worse. What's Your Problem? learns from the thinkers and doers trying to make our future better.
iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.

What's Your Problem?

Every week on What’s Your Problem, entrepreneurs and engineers talk about the future they’re trying to build – and the problems they have to solve to get there.

How do you take a drone delivery service you’ve built in Rwanda and make it work in North Carolina? How do you convince people to buy a house on the Internet? How do you sell thousands of dog ramps to weiner dogs all across America when a pandemic breaks the global supply chain? 

Hosted by former Planet Money host Jacob Goldstein, What’s Your Problem helps listeners understand the problems really smart people are trying to solve right now.

iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.

The Ordinary Stuff Behind Technological Breakthroughs

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e678f7ed-98f4-40a8-9c9d-b354015372a8/transcript

Michael Hufford is the co-founder and CEO of LyGenesis, a company working on a new treatment for end stage liver disease. Michael’s problem is this: How do grow a new liver inside the body of a sick patient?

In this episode, Michael explains: 
The liver's unique power of regeneration
The organ transplant crisis and how regeneration can help 
The science behind using lymph nodes to grow new organs
The status of LyGenesis’ human trials
The future of regenerative medicine 

Learn more:
Check out LyGenesis’ website

Connect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram 
Email us at problem@pushkin.fm 
Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X 
Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History 
To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+

Michael Hufford is the co-founder and CEO of LyGenesis, a company working on a new treatment for end stage liver disease. Michael&rsquo;s problem is this: How do grow a new liver inside the body of a sick patient?
In this episode, Michael explains:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>The liver's unique power of regeneration</li>
<li>The organ transplant crisis and how regeneration can help&nbsp;</li>
<li>The science behind using lymph nodes to grow new organs</li>
<li>The status of LyGenesis&rsquo; human trials</li>
<li>The future of regenerative medicine&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Learn more:
<ul>
<li>Check out LyGenesis&rsquo; <a href="https://www.lygenesis.com/">website</a></li>
</ul>
Connect with us:
<ul>
<li>Follow Jacob Goldstein on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-goldstein-888a2441/">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://x.com/jacobgoldstein?lang=en">X</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jacobjulius/?hl=en">Instagram&nbsp;</a></li>
<li>Email us at <a href="mailto:problem@pushkin.fm">problem@pushkin.fm</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Follow Pushkin on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pushkinpods/">Instagram</a>,<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/pushkin-industries/posts/?feedView=all"> LinkedIn</a> or <a href="https://x.com/pushkinpods?lang=en">X</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Listen to Jacob&rsquo;s other show, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-history/id1844409167">Business History&nbsp;</a></li>
<li>To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for <a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/join-pushkin">Pushkin+</a></li>
</ul>

Growing New Livers to Save Lives

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/27e74a34-c4d3-4481-8eba-b40c00f3b4cf/transcript

Rare earth elements are inside pretty much everything with an on-off switch: Phones, laptops, cars. Even missiles. And China controls the world’s supply of components made from rare earths.

David Abraham is the author of the book “The Elements of Power: Gadgets, Guns, and the Struggle for a Sustainable Future in the Rare Metal Age.” David’s problem is this: What should the US do about China's chokehold on the rare earth supply chain?

According to Abraham, the current US strategy could wind up costing billions of dollars without solving the problem. And he has a big idea for what we should do instead.

In this episode, David explains:
How China quietly built a monopoly on rare earth materials
Why the 2010 Japan crisis was a preview of today's trade war
China’s export restriction strategy 
Why the problem goes deeper than billions in spending can solve
Why electric vehicles are the key to reinvigorating the U.S. rare earth industry

Learn more: 
Find David at his website 
Buy the Elements of Power
Check out David’s article in the new Republic

Connect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram 
Email us at problem@pushkin.fm 
Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X 
Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History 

To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+

Rare earth elements are inside pretty much everything with an on-off switch: Phones, laptops, cars. Even missiles. And China controls the world&rsquo;s supply of components made from rare earths.
David Abraham is the author of the book &ldquo;<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25246861-the-elements-of-power">The Elements of Power: Gadgets, Guns, and the Struggle for a Sustainable Future in the Rare Metal Age</a>.&rdquo; David&rsquo;s problem is this: What should the US do about China's chokehold on the rare earth supply chain?
According to Abraham, the current US strategy could wind up costing billions of dollars without solving the problem. And he has a big idea for what we should do instead.
In this episode, David explains:
<ul>
<li>How China quietly built a monopoly on rare earth materials</li>
<li>Why the 2010 Japan crisis was a preview of today's trade war</li>
<li>China&rsquo;s export restriction strategy&nbsp;</li>
<li>Why the problem goes deeper than billions in spending can solve</li>
<li>Why electric vehicles are the key to reinvigorating the U.S. rare earth industry</li>
</ul>
Learn more:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Find David at his <a href="https://www.davidsabraham.com/">website</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Buy the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00W0C96H4">Elements of Power</a></li>
<li>Check out David&rsquo;s <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/194514/rare-earth-materials-china-trade">article</a> in the new Republic</li>
</ul>
Connect with us:
<ul>
<li>Follow Jacob Goldstein on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-goldstein-888a2441/">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://x.com/jacobgoldstein?lang=en">X</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jacobjulius/?hl=en">Instagram&nbsp;</a></li>
<li>Email us at <a href="mailto:problem@pushkin.fm">problem@pushkin.fm</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Follow Pushkin on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pushkinpods/">Instagram</a>,<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/pushkin-industries/posts/?feedView=all"> LinkedIn</a> or <a href="https://x.com/pushkinpods?lang=en">X</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Listen to Jacob&rsquo;s other show, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-history/id1844409167">Business History&nbsp;</a></li>
</ul>
To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for <a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/join-pushkin">Pushkin+</a>

Can the US Break China's Grip on Rare Earths?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/43533d5e-7428-49e7-9142-b404010411db/transcript

Ben Bloom is the co-founder and CEO of Atom Computing, a company building quantum computers out of individual atoms. Ben’s problem is this: How do you build a quantum computer that is actually useful for everything from discovering new medicines to building better batteries? 

In this episode, Ben explains: 
The practical applications of quantum computers 
Atom Computing’s approach using individual neutral atoms as qubits 
The key engineering challenge of scaling while maintaining accuracy 
The playbook for commercializing quantum computing

Connect with us:
Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram 
Email us at problem@pushkin.fm 
Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X 
Listen to Jacob’s other show, (00:21:23) Business History
To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+

Ben Bloom is the co-founder and CEO of Atom Computing, a company building quantum computers out of individual atoms. Ben&rsquo;s problem is this: How do you build a quantum computer that is actually useful for everything from discovering new medicines to building better batteries?&nbsp;
In this episode, Ben explains:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>The practical applications of quantum computers&nbsp;</li>
<li>Atom Computing&rsquo;s approach using individual neutral atoms as qubits&nbsp;</li>
<li>The key engineering challenge of scaling while maintaining accuracy&nbsp;</li>
<li>The playbook for commercializing quantum computing</li>
</ul>
Connect with us:
<ul>
<li>Follow Jacob Goldstein on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-goldstein-888a2441/">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://x.com/jacobgoldstein?lang=en">X</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jacobjulius/?hl=en">Instagram&nbsp;</a></li>
<li>Email us at <a href="mailto:problem@pushkin.fm">problem@pushkin.fm</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Follow Pushkin on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pushkinpods/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/pushkin-industries/posts/?feedView=all">LinkedIn</a> or <a href="https://x.com/pushkinpods?lang=en">X</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Listen to Jacob&rsquo;s other show, (00:21:23) <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-history/id1844409167">Business History</a></li>
<li>To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for <a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/join-pushkin">Pushkin+</a></li>
</ul>

How Quantum Computers Could Change the World

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/7c0be93c-a4b1-44ea-96b2-b40101446fad/transcript

The Ordinary Stuff Behind Technological Breakthroughs

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