War, Tech & Dirty Supply Chains: The Elements of Power with Nicolas Niarchos

Feb 20, 2026

Topics: Tech, Culture

Release Date: February 20, 2026

We live in a world powered by lithium-ion batteries—fueling smartphones, electric vehicles, and the promise of a greener future. But beneath this sleek, sustainable vision lies a far more complicated reality that’s worth thinking twice about. Journalist and “The Elements of Power” author Nicolas Niarchos traces the global race for critical minerals like cobalt—nearly 70 percent of which comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where artisanal miners, including children, work in dangerous conditions for minimal pay. He also traces today’s exploitation back through colonial history under Belgian rule and forward into a new great-power contest, as China and the U.S. compete for control of critical minerals. With that in mind, what human and environmental costs are hidden inside the technology that powers modern life?

In this conversation, Niarchos and moderator-in-chief John Donvan invite you to Think Twice about what powers your world—and what it costs to get it.

Our Guest:

Nicolas Niarchos, Journalist and Author of “The Elements of Power”

Nicolas Niarchos is a journalist whose work focuses on energy, war, and migration, and the author of “The Elements of Power: A Story of War, Technology, and the Dirtiest Supply Chain on Earth.” His work has been published in The New Yorker, The Nation, and The New York Times. He has testified on the effects of Congolese battery metal mining on Capitol Hill. His work on mining in Indonesia was shortlisted for a 2024 Livingston Award. In 2023, he won an Edward R. Murrow Award for a radio report from Ukraine for The New Yorker and WNYC, and he has been shortlisted for a Livingston Award. Niarchos has reported extensively from Africa and the Middle East, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Moderator-in-Chief:

John Donvan, Emmy award-winning journalist

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