Copper

Your average EV has six times more mineral content than a petrol- or diesel-powered vehicle. All those metals need to be dug, scraped, blasted, or leached out of the earth. There is massive demand for batteries as countries eye up ambitious zero-emissions targets. But what's the cost?

One ton of circuit boards from old e-waste can contain 100 times more gold than a ton of mined gold. Now, scrappers like Wade Crawley in Sydney, Australia, are cashing in. He's partnered with Mint Innovation, a company that invented a safer and cleaner way to recover precious metals from electronics.

Happy Friday eve to the smartest corner of the internet. Phil Rosen here, writing to you from New York City. 

This week I've seen commentators draw comparisons between the current boom in artificial intelligence stocks and that of meme stocks two years ago.