Asianometry

A deep dive into turbines that swap steam for supercritical CO2 and promise much smaller, simpler powerplants. Explanations of steam Rankine and gas Brayton cycles set the stage. Discussion of why CO2’s properties near its critical point make compact, efficient turbines possible. Survey of materials, sealing challenges, nuclear synergy, and international pilot projects pushing the technology forward.

It used to be that if you wanted to get good audio on your computer, you had to get a sound card. And if you needed a sound card, there was just one choice: Sound Blaster. The company behind this iconic brand, Creative Labs or Technology, actually came from the city of the Merlion: Singapore. Their fortunes rose and fell with that of their most iconic product. In today’s video, a look at Singapore’s sound card tech hero. Get all episodes of Asianometry, Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, and Dithering as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Listen to Stratechery. Listen to Dithering. Listen to Sharp China. Listen to Sharp Tech. Listen to Greatest Of All Talk.

A deep dive into why Mexico City is literally sinking and how its lakebed history created the problem. Short histories of precolonial waterworks, Spanish drainage projects, and 19th century canal engineering. The role of groundwater pumping, rapid urban growth, and unequal impacts across neighborhoods are explored.

A laser and fiber optics maker rises from telecom bubble collapse to power the AI data center boom. The story traces origins in early optical research, wild market mania, and a brutal crash. Technical breakdowns explain why higher-power, low-noise lasers and polarization-maintaining fiber matter for modern CPO designs.

A fast-paced look at a modern banana crisis sparked by a relentless soil fungus and its recent arrival in Ecuador. Traces banana origins, genetics, and why commercial fruit are sterile clones. Recounts historical crop collapses, the switch to Cavendish, and how resistant varieties and biosecurity are shaping responses.

The soil sample was collected in a remote Indonesian jungle by a Christian missionary. A few grams of dirt scooped into a sample bag and shipped to the United States. Little did anyone know what those few grams would contain. A drug so special that its Chinese characters literally mean “The Antibiotic of the Ages”. It has been nearly 70 years since its market entry. In today’s video, I want to pay tribute to an iconic compound. The unique, mysterious, infuriating but life-saving antibiotic: Vancomycin. For over three decades, our drug of last resort. Get all episodes of Asianometry, Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, and Dithering as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year. Listen to Stratechery. Listen to Dithering. Listen to Sharp China. Listen to Sharp Tech. Listen to Greatest Of All Talk.

A deep dive into the invention of the silicon thyristor and its nearly 70-year impact on power electronics. Clear explanations of AC generation and why controlled conversion matters. A tour of early rectifiers, thyrotrons, and the path from mercury tubes to silicon PNPN devices. The story of GE's gate-controlled breakthrough and how latching power switches transformed motors and grid-scale systems.

They explore why people imagine data centers and chip fabs in orbit, from energy abundance to cleaner vacuum conditions. They dig into radiation risks, extreme thermal swings, and how microgravity helps some processes but breaks liquid steps. They examine lithography limits, etch and wafer-handling showstoppers, and the heavy logistics and cost barriers that make space fabs impractical.

A rise-and-fall tale of a coal-to-liquids pioneer and a $13 billion US megaproject that shattered its fortunes. Technical deep dives into Fischer-Tropsch chemistry and gas-to-liquids engineering. The company’s strategic pivot from coal fuels to global petrochemicals and risky international expansion. Construction failures, cost shocks, and leadership choices that led to crushing debt and asset selloffs.

A deep dive into the 30-year technological race from supercritical to ultra‑supercritical steam turbines. Short lessons on how steam cycle changes and reheat strategies boost efficiency. A look at the metallurgical breakthroughs that made higher temperatures possible. A historical narrative of Japan’s development and how turbine tech shifted globally.