The pillage that fueled America's tech booms

Throughline explores how cobalt, an essential ingredient in the batteries that power smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles, connects our daily technology to one of the world's most dangerous jobs. More than three-quarters of the world's cobalt supply lies in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a nation whose vast mineral wealth has attracted outside greed and exploitation for centuries. The episode traces this history from colonial atrocities to present-day mining conditions, revealing the fight for resource control and the dignity of the people who produce them.