Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From tomatoes and copper to data centers and steel, the modern economy depends on a material world hidden in plain sight.
In this episode of the Century of Plenty podcast, Sven Smit and Chris Bradley are joined by Ed Conway, economics and data editor at Sky News and author of Material World, to explore the materials, energy, infrastructure, and trade that underpin modern prosperity—and what it would take to extend it to everyone.
In this episode, they discuss:
◼ How the hidden material foundations of modern life—from fertilizer and steel to copper and semiconductors—make abundance possible, and why fears of simply “running out” of resources can miss the role of innovation, discovery, and productivity.
◼ Why achieving higher living standards around the world will require far more energy and physical infrastructure, and how abundant clean energy, intensive agriculture, and new approaches to manufacturing could reconcile development with climate goals.
◼ Why pessimism about the future persists despite centuries of progress—and how AI and a renewed focus on energy, infrastructure, and industry could strengthen the case for investing in abundance.
Chapters:
00:00:00 – Why we take progress for granted
00:06:02 – What a tomato reveals about the modern world
00:14:58 – Are we really running out of stuff?
00:26:43 – Why pessimism gets our attention
00:45:05 – Why did we stop growing?
00:52:45 – Can we make energy abundant again?
01:04:10 – The hidden journey behind everything we buy
Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/0340SmMq12xdC0E69h3qDL
Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/century-of-plenty/id6797611085
Explore the book and research: acenturyofplenty.com
Get your copy of 'A Century of Plenty' on Amazon: https://a.co/d/09oVyVx2
Subscribe to our channel: mck.co/YouTube
Subscribe to our newsletters: mck.co/Subscribe
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From tomatoes and copper to data centers and steel, the modern economy depends on a material world hidden in plain sight.
In this episode of the Century of Plenty podcast, Sven Smit and Chris Bradley are joined by Ed Conway, economics and data editor at Sky News and author of Material World, to explore the materials, energy, infrastructure, and trade that underpin modern prosperity—and what it would take to extend it to everyone.
In this episode, they discuss:
◼ How the hidden material foundations of modern life—from fertilizer and steel to copper and semiconductors—make abundance possible, and why fears of simply “running out” of resources can miss the role of innovation, discovery, and productivity.
◼ Why achieving higher living standards around the world will require far more energy and physical infrastructure, and how abundant clean energy, intensive agriculture, and new approaches to manufacturing could reconcile development with climate goals.
◼ Why pessimism about the future persists despite centuries of progress—and how AI and a renewed focus on energy, infrastructure, and industry could strengthen the case for investing in abundance.
Chapters:
00:00:00 – Why we take progress for granted
00:06:02 – What a tomato reveals about the modern world
00:14:58 – Are we really running out of stuff?
00:26:43 – Why pessimism gets our attention
00:45:05 – Why did we stop growing?
00:52:45 – Can we make energy abundant again?
01:04:10 – The hidden journey behind everything we buy
Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/0340SmMq12xdC0E69h3qDL
Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/century-of-plenty/id6797611085
Explore the book and research: acenturyofplenty.com
Get your copy of 'A Century of Plenty' on Amazon: https://a.co/d/09oVyVx2
Subscribe to our channel: mck.co/YouTube
Subscribe to our newsletters: mck.co/Subscribe
*Find us on:*
Facebook: mck.co/Facebook
Twitter: mck.co/Twitter
LinkedIn: mck.co/LinkedIn
Instagram: mck.co/Instagram
See mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information.
