Episode 1700 • • 5:17 - 9:44
1700: Turban Tossing
North Carolina Quartz Mines, Lithium Conspiracy Theories
The hosts debunk conspiracy theories claiming Hurricane Helene was engineered via HAARP to flood North Carolina for lithium and quartz extraction. Dvorak reports on his investigation into the Spruce Pine quartz mines, arguing that a 2018 Wired article exaggerated the global importance of the site for semiconductor manufacturing. They conclude that while the quartz is high quality, it is not a unique global bottleneck for chip production.