Copper rush
Feature: Why is there so much of it—and yet not enough to go around? Adam Simon on the “huge stakes” of global competition for the metal.
‘Dependencies have become liabilities’
Feature: Why is Silicon Valley fighting with the EU? Anu Bradford on how American tech companies are enlisting the White House against European regulation.
‘Profiting from incuriosity’
Feature: How did the open web go into such “rapid decline”? Michael Socolow on why search engines have gotten worse, old links no longer work, and the internet is increasingly siloed.
The jagged frontier
Feature: Who’s got the best AI? Selina Xu on America’s intelligence explosion—and China’s “dark factories.”
Going west
Why are so many companies moving to America from Europe? Philippe Aghion on the Continent’s failure to build a competitive innovation ecosystem.
Red sea
Why is China building so many ships? Brian Hart on its plan to turn overwhelming commercial advantage into military power.
House money
Why are countries around the world developing virtual legal tenders? Roger Huang on the origins, implementation, and implications of central bank digital currencies.
Untouchable
Why has Bitcoin become so popular with dissidents living in dictatorships? Farida Nabourema on what the emerging technology has in common with an old suitcase stuffed with cash.
Terminators
What are the risks of “killer robots” to civilians? Lucy Suchman on the automation of modern warfare.
Addled
Why are people’s cognitive skills declining? Gloria Mark on how consumer technology is making us more error-prone, more stressed, and less productive.
