Stack Map of the World

The world's technology stack rests on a fragile base that high-level AI and crypto discussions rarely consider. Most of the high-purity quartz needed for semiconductor equipment reportedly comes from one mine in North Carolina, and its production is a closely guarded trade secret known to only a handful of organizations. One guess is that China is close to figuring it out, and disrupting that mine or attacking shipping near Yemen could shut down much of the world. Satirical slogans such as "Decentralize the quartz mines!" accompany a stack diagram inspired by xkcd's Dependency cartoon.