The History of Tantalum — The Dirt That Stalled The PlayStation
Relics & Realms
5,734 views
The History of Tantalum — The Dirt That Stalled The PlayStation
In late 2000, Sony delayed the release of the PlayStation 2, blaming a mysterious parts shortage. The truth was unfolding deep in the Congolese jungle, where armed militias were violently seizing mud pits to extract a heavy, black dirt. The world's hottest gaming console was being stalled by a brutal war over a metal nobody could even name.
⏱ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 The PlayStation Delay
1:43 A Shortage of Mud
3:36 The Swedish Chemist's Frustration
5:25 The Curse of Tantalus
7:08 The Twin Element Problem
9:06 Heinrich Rose Splits the Twins
11:01 The Metal That Refuses to Melt
12:52 The First Spark of Industry
14:38 Werner von Bolton's Breakthrough
16:15 The Oxide Layer Miracle
18:16 Shrinking the Radio
20:18 The Birth of the Solid Capacitor
21:57 Putting Computers in Pockets
23:49 The Geology of Coltan
25:47 The Jungle's Black Gold
27:59 The Dot-Com Price Explosion
29:56 Warlords Enter the Pits
31:54 The Supply Chain of Blood
33:44 The Tech Industry's Blind Eye
35:39 A Human Toll in the Millions
37:28 The Dodd-Frank Act Reckoning
39:18 The Loophole of Smuggling
41:12 The Dirt in Your Pocket
If this surprised you, subscribe for more hidden histories behind the objects you use every day.
#history #documentary #tantalum
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The History of Tantalum — The Dirt That Stalled The PlayStation
Relics & Realms
5,734 views
The History of Tantalum — The Dirt That Stalled The PlayStation
In late 2000, Sony delayed the release of the PlayStation 2, blaming a mysterious parts shortage. The truth was unfolding deep in the Congolese jungle, where armed militias were violently seizing mud pits to extract a heavy, black dirt. The world's hottest gaming console was being stalled by a brutal war over a metal nobody could even name.
⏱ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 The PlayStation Delay
1:43 A Shortage of Mud
3:36 The Swedish Chemist's Frustration
5:25 The Curse of Tantalus
7:08 The Twin Element Problem
9:06 Heinrich Rose Splits the Twins
11:01 The Metal That Refuses to Melt
12:52 The First Spark of Industry
14:38 Werner von Bolton's Breakthrough
16:15 The Oxide Layer Miracle
18:16 Shrinking the Radio
20:18 The Birth of the Solid Capacitor
21:57 Putting Computers in Pockets
23:49 The Geology of Coltan
25:47 The Jungle's Black Gold
27:59 The Dot-Com Price Explosion
29:56 Warlords Enter the Pits
31:54 The Supply Chain of Blood
33:44 The Tech Industry's Blind Eye
35:39 A Human Toll in the Millions
37:28 The Dodd-Frank Act Reckoning
39:18 The Loophole of Smuggling
41:12 The Dirt in Your Pocket
If this surprised you, subscribe for more hidden histories behind the objects you use every day.
#history #documentary #tantalum