Science & Technology

The Emerging Science of Finding Critical Metals | Mfikeyi Makayi | TED

Published

10 months ago

October 20, 2025

Your smartphone, computer and electric car all depend on one thing — critical minerals buried deep underground. But there’s a catch: the mining industry has gotten dramatically worse at discovering new deposits just when we need them most, says mining innovator Mfikeyi Makayi. She introduces new AI-powered technology that could fix this problem by predicting mineral locations 10,000 times faster than conventional methods and transforming an industry essential to a sustainable future. (Recorded at TED Countdown Summit 2025 on June 18, 2025)

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17 Comments

@AdvantestInc

October 20, 2025 at 11:03 am

Fascinating to see AI moving from data centers to the depths of the Earth. Predictive exploration like this could mark a turning point where tech directly supports environmental responsibility.

Reply
@Jasonxbr

October 20, 2025 at 11:06 am

If AI is involved as well greedy corporations there will be exploitation and slavery involved, not including the destruction of the environment as well the pollution it leaves behind. 😢😢😢😢

Reply
@ExistentialWolf

October 20, 2025 at 11:17 am

Okay. First the word problem. Pottery is a form of china. China just refers to dust or clay. Phonetically clay refers to adhesion. From clay you make pottery with the right dust it becomes ceramics when heat treated. The other dust makes the color like salts and metals. From there you make crystals, conductors and insulators of charge (which is the free energy we call power.) Once you have wire, now you need magnets. Magnets usually come from iron dust, but you may want something exotic to fit somewhere (small/between.)

Reply
@AM-kf2zt

October 20, 2025 at 12:47 pm

AI has always been something sketchy, mostly because of how overhyped it was and of how many of its highlighted uses generally amounted to substituting human intelligence and skills. However, this and its use in early detection of cancer are one of the few times I’ve seen humanity take this new tool, something wondrous and not turn it into a complete joke.

Reply
@BeBrillio

October 20, 2025 at 1:18 pm

We need 400+ new mines, yet the industry is 10x worse at finding deposits. The genius here is using AI to stop chasing one answer. Instead of ignoring the “infinite number of possibilities,” you drill where you’re most uncertain to eliminate possibilities. I’m applying this data-driven focus to the perfect storytelling videos launching soon on @BeBrillio. What decision in your life are you currently making by ignoring uncertainty?

Reply
@HappySlappii

October 20, 2025 at 4:01 pm

Coming away from this. You would think mining is good for the environment. 😂

Reply
- @EbenezarWikina
  
  October 21, 2025 at 7:02 am
  
  But it appears good for your iPhone apparently so that you can watch this and complain about mining 😏
  
  Reply
@BretFarris-q7l

October 20, 2025 at 9:49 pm

Belvarium’s whitepaper is 🔥 and the devs are clearly experienced 💻📄

Reply
@BretMadison-j8f

October 20, 2025 at 9:50 pm

Not financial advice, but I’m quietly accumulating BLV before it wakes up.

Reply
@VinnyBailliu

October 20, 2025 at 9:53 pm

Not financial advice, but I’m quietly accumulating BLV before it wakes up.

Reply
@MissyBickel

October 20, 2025 at 9:53 pm

Belvarium’s whitepaper is 🔥 and the devs are clearly experienced 💻📄

Reply
@ReparacionFuqua

October 20, 2025 at 9:58 pm

Not financial advice, but I’m quietly accumulating BLV before it wakes up.

Reply
@dawner84

October 20, 2025 at 10:13 pm

Can artificial intelligence change the current situation where developed countries exploit poorer ones?
It will only redistribute the already meager profits to Nvidia and other tech companies.

Reply
@joyyyy777

October 21, 2025 at 12:15 am

Not financial advice, but I’m quietly accumulating BLV before it wakes up.

Reply
@EbenezarWikina

October 21, 2025 at 7:01 am

Africans need to take hold of the mining industry on our continent. This is a very inspiring talk in just 8 minutes

Reply
@lifemotivation6789

October 21, 2025 at 7:39 am

This is such a powerful perspective. 🌍 It’s easy to forget that everything around us — from our phones to our future technologies — begins with the earth itself. The call for innovation in mining isn’t just about resources; it’s about responsibility, sustainability, and the courage to look deeper, literally and figuratively. The future of a circular economy starts with smarter discovery.

Reply
@SkillsetAcademy-825

October 21, 2025 at 11:05 am

I think we should be looking for better ways to stabilizes the earth than exploration for more resources from earth.

Reply

Science & Technology

The VC Backing the American Dream with Manan Mehta, Unshackled Ventures

Immigrant founders have built some of the world’s most valuable companies, but many still face barriers that make it harder to get a startup off the ground. Visa restrictions, limited access to friends-and-family capital, shallow networks, and a venture industry built around pattern matching can keep promising founders from getting funded before they have a…

Published

15 hours ago

August 13, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

In this episode of Build Mode () , host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Manan Mehta, co-founder and managing partner of Unshackled Ventures, () to talk about why he believes immigrant founders represent one of venture capital’s biggest overlooked opportunities. Manan breaks down how Unshackled built an investment model designed to help founders navigate immigration barriers, why traditional VC pattern matching causes investors to miss potential outliers, and how his team evaluates founders at day zero—often before they have a product, customers, or traction. He also explains why the structural gaps that make some founders harder to fund may be exactly where investors should be looking for outsized returns.

They get into:

•

The four structural barriers immigrant founders face when starting companies in the U.S.

•

How Unshackled Ventures helps founders navigate visas while building their startups

•

Why VC’s reliance on pattern matching can cause investors to miss outlier founders

•

How Manan evaluates founders before they have a product, customers, or traction

•

The IQ, AQ, EQ, and SQ framework Unshackled uses to evaluate founder potential

•

Why resilience, lived experience, and a founder’s relationship to the problem can matter more than a polished pitch

•

Why structural gaps can create some of the biggest opportunities for investors

•

How founders without traditional networks can find alternative paths to early capital

•

Why founders should understand their personal “why” instead of trying to fit the traditional VC mold

Subscribe to Build Mode on Apple Podcasts () , Spotify () , or wherever you like to listen () . And watch the full videos on YouTube () . New episodes of Build Mode () drop every Thursday.

Chapters:

00:00 – Why VCs Miss Outlier Founders

01:45 – Why Manan Mehta Founded Unshackled Ventures

04:15 – The Problem With VC Pattern Matching

06:15 – The Friends-and-Family Gap for Immigrant Founders

08:18 – How Unshackled Helps Founders Navigate Visas

10:40 – Building a Startup in Today’s Immigration Environment

12:19 – Solving One of Unshackled’s Hardest Immigration Cases

14:39 – What the U.S. Stands to Lose16:59 – Raising Unshackled’s First Venture Funds

19:40 – Can You Start a Company on an H-1B Visa?

22:13 – How to Evaluate a Founder at Day Zero

28:30 – Measuring IQ, AQ, EQ, and SQ

30:26 – How Fear Drives VC Pattern Matching

33:01 – Why Structural Gaps Create Outlier Opportunities

35:14 – Finding Startup Capital Outside Traditional VC

38:09 – Why Founders Need to Understand Their “Why”

Hosted by Isabelle Johannesen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.

Science & Technology

The High Risk, High Reward Model of Backing Immigrant Founders l Build Mode

Published

15 hours ago

August 13, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Manan Mehta, co-founder and managing partner of Unshackled Ventures, to talk about why he believes immigrant founders represent one of venture capital’s biggest overlooked opportunities. Manan breaks down how Unshackled built an investment model designed to help founders navigate immigration barriers, why traditional VC pattern matching causes investors to miss potential outliers, and how his team evaluates founders at day zero—often before they have a product, customers, or traction. He also explains why the structural gaps that make some founders harder to fund may be exactly where investors should be looking for outsized returns.

Subscribe to Build Mode:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Wherever you like to listen
New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday.

Chapters:
00:00 – Why VCs Miss Outlier Founders
01:45 – Why Manan Mehta Founded Unshackled Ventures
04:15 – The Problem With VC Pattern Matching
06:15 – The Friends-and-Family Gap for Immigrant Founders
08:18 – How Unshackled Helps Founders Navigate Visas
10:40 – Building a Startup in Today’s Immigration Environment
12:19 – Solving One of Unshackled’s Hardest Immigration Cases
14:39 – What the U.S. Stands to Lose
16:59 – Raising Unshackled’s First Venture Funds
19:40 – Can You Start a Company on an H-1B Visa?
22:13 – How to Evaluate a Founder at Day Zero
28:30 – Measuring IQ, AQ, EQ, and SQ
30:26 – How Fear Drives VC Pattern Matching
33:01 – Why Structural Gaps Create Outlier Opportunities
35:14 – Finding Startup Capital Outside Traditional VC
38:09 – Why Founders Need to Understand Their “Why”

Hosted by Isabelle Johannesen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.

Science & Technology

Hands-on With Google’s New Pixel 11 Devices

Get a hands-on look at Google’s new Pixel 11 lineup, from the more durable Pro Fold, an updated new camera bar, and of course, a push for Gemini AI features.

Published

16 hours ago

August 13, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Get a hands-on look at Google’s new Pixel 11 lineup, from the more durable Pro Fold, an updated new camera bar, and of course, a push for Gemini AI features.