Why did the world suddenly run out of chips?In this episode of Everything Explained in 5 Minutes, we break down the global semiconductor shortage — how it started, why it disrupted everything from smartphones to cars, and what it tells us about the fragile future of tech.
We cover:
What semiconductors are, and how they’re made
How COVID, climate events, and geopolitics collided
Why Taiwan holds the key to the global chip supply
What countries like the U.S. are doing to fix it
And why this crisis is far from over
It’s the story of the smallest component with the biggest impact.