October 4, 2024 • 10 mins
Conspiracy theories circulate about Hurricane Helene, which struck Florida in September 2024 and wreaked havoc upon upstate North Carolina. Some theories claim the hurricane was intentionally manipulated to impact Republican areas, while others suggest it was engineered to clear land for lithium mining. We also examine theories claiming the hurricane was created or guided by technology, such as HAARP, frequency transmitters, or cloud seeding. While lithium is on the mind of conspiracy theorist, a real life quartz mining facility has been severely impacted by Helene, which could cause supply chain disruptions for weeks or months.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hey everyone and welcome back for another deep dive.
(00:03):
You know sometimes the news cycle
throws these curveballs at us,
stories that just kind of weave together
all these like totally random threads
in the most unexpected ways.
It's like when someone hit shuffle
on current events or something.
Exactly.
And this time we're talking about Hurricane Helene,
the tech we use every single day
and you guessed it, a few conspiracy theories
(00:24):
just for good measure.
Sounds about right.
So ready to dive in.
Let's do it.
Where do we even start with something like this?
Well, I think the best place to begin
is with the undeniable.
Hurricane Helene, it was brutal.
Over 100 lives lost and millions without power.
Yeah, pretty stark reminder of just
how powerful nature can be.
Totally.
(00:44):
We've been looking through firsthand accounts, reports,
you know the usual, even stuff on social media
just trying to understand the impact.
And one thing is clear behind these huge numbers.
There are real people whose lives were totally upended.
People like, what was that story we saw
about the young mother who had to evacuate?
Eve Reed Dull, right, from Hendersonville, North Carolina,
(01:06):
had to evacuate with her baby
and she's been glued to TikTok ever since,
just desperately trying to get updates
about her home and family.
Heartbreaking.
And sadly, it's something we see over and over again
after these kinds of disasters.
But it's not just the immediate danger.
You're right, there's this whole other layer
of like economic fallout that we're only just
starting to grasp now and this is where things take a turn
(01:26):
for, well, the weird.
That's how we ended up in Spruce Pine, North Carolina
population, 2,194.
Spruce Pine.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, you wouldn't think a small town tucked away
in the Blue Ridge Mountains would suddenly
be making global headlines.
Right, it's known for its art scene
and like gorgeous mountain views.
So what could this charming little town possibly have to do
(01:48):
with the global tech industry?
It's all about what's under the surface, literally.
Spruce Pine sits on America's only source
of ultra-high purity courts, a resource so vital
that calling it courts almost feels like an understatement.
Wait, hold up, are you saying this tiny town
in the middle of nowhere is sitting on a gold mine of rocks
and that the entire tech world relies on these rocks?
(02:10):
Essentially, yes.
We're talking about a level of purity here
that's almost impossible to comprehend.
This courts is so flawless, so unbelievably pure
that it's used to make the crucibles used
in semiconductor and solar panel manufacturing.
Crucibles, those are.
Hold on, remind me what a crucible is again.
It's like a, what, a high-tech oven for computer chips?
You're not wrong.
It's a specialized container, incredibly high-tech,
(02:31):
that can withstand the insane heat
and needs to be absolutely 100% pure,
especially when you're talking about making
the tiny components that power, well, everything these days.
So like, our phones, laptops.
All of it, semiconductors, solar panels, all of it.
We're talking about technology
that needs such a crazy level of precision
that even a single atom out of place
(02:52):
can completely ruin the whole process.
So we've got this one tiny town, right,
that's basically responsible for the super pure courts
that we need to make, what, everything.
Our phones, our laptops, even solar panels,
and then Hurricane Helene just slams into the region.
I'm kind of starting to see where this is going
and it's not looking great.
You got it.
(03:12):
The reports from Spruce Pine have been,
well, pretty concerning.
Both of the big courts mining companies there,
of course, Corporation and Cibyl Co, they had to shut down
completely on September 26th.
Okay, not ideal, but I'm guessing those companies
have some sort of backup plan, right?
They wouldn't just operate without a safety net, would they?
They do, but it's not a perfect system.
Chipmakers usually keep a certain amount
(03:34):
of this high purity courts in stock,
just because they know how important it is.
We're not gonna like run out tomorrow or anything.
Okay, that's something at least.
But how long are we talking about here?
What happens if those mines are offline for weeks
or even months?
Well, that's when things could get a little messy.
We could be looking at some major delays in manufacturing.
Everything from the latest phones and computers to-
(03:56):
The electric cars. Exactly.
Semiconductors are everywhere these days.
That demand just keeps growing.
What about the solar industry?
We were just talking about how we need these crucibles
to make solar panels too.
Right, if this shortage of high purity courts drags on,
it could really throw a wrench into the global push
for renewable energy and all that.
So yeah, this isn't just about tech anymore.
(04:17):
We're talking about a ripple effect
that could impact everything.
So we've got potential global economic meltdowns,
supply chains going haywire.
This is starting to feel like a disaster movie,
except it's actually happening.
Definitely highlights just how interconnected our world is now
and how vulnerable all of it is to these disruptions
in critical supply chains.
(04:39):
But speaking of vulnerabilities,
there's another side to this story
that we haven't even touched on yet.
Misinformation. Oh boy, here we go.
It's unfortunate, but honestly,
it's not all that surprising.
Anytime you have a disaster this big,
something like Hurricane Helene
that affects so many people,
it creates the perfect breeding ground
for all sorts of misinformation to spread.
(05:00):
And we're not just talking about like,
harmless rumors either.
This stuff can have real life consequences.
Absolutely.
We've seen some wild theories popping up online,
everything from accusations
that Biden's administration is withholding aid.
Which by the way, even Republican governors
have come out and said is totally false.
Right, but it doesn't seem to matter.
And then you've got those theories
that the hurricane was like intentionally created
(05:24):
by the government.
Oh yeah, right, the whole HARP thing.
Wasn't that some kind of weather control weapon?
It sounds like something out of a comic book,
but that's actually a real thing, yeah.
HARP stands for High Frequency
Active Aroral Research Program.
And it's a real research facility, but...
It's not what people think it is.
HARP studies the ionosphere.
(05:44):
That's that layer way up high in the arc's atmosphere.
You know, the one that protects us from solar radiation
and all that.
Right, the ionosphere.
Okay, got it.
So less controlling the weather, more scientific research.
Exactly.
HARP is essentially just trying to understand
how this layer of the atmosphere works.
It's like listening to the earth's heartbeat,
(06:04):
not controlling it.
Okay, that makes a lot more sense.
Still doesn't explain how it could control hurricanes though.
It can't.
It's like trying to, I don't know,
control the tides of the leaf blower.
The scales of energy involved are just totally different.
Even the director of HARP, Jessica Matthews,
she's gone on record debunking this.
And NOA scientist Howard Diamond too,
he said HARP had absolutely nothing to do
(06:26):
with Hurricane Helene.
So we've got the experts saying it's impossible, and yet,
people are still clinging to this whole,
the government can control the weather idea.
It's weird, right?
What is it about these conspiracy theories
that's so appealing even when all the evidence
says they're wrong?
Good question.
Something researchers have been trying to figure out
(06:47):
for years, like especially in times of crisis,
when people are scared and looking for answers,
our brains, they prefer a bad explanation
over no explanation at all.
There was actually a study back in 2019
about Hurricane Dorian.
Another hurricane, another round of conspiracy theories.
Exactly.
Social media was full of rumors
and misinformation back then too.
Wild.
It's almost like our brains are hardwired
(07:08):
to look for patterns,
even when they aren't really there.
Right.
And with social media these days,
especially platforms like X, what used to be Twitter,
all these unverified claims get amplified so quickly.
It's getting harder and harder to tell
what's real and what's not.
It's like, when there's no reliable information,
people will latch on to anything,
even if it makes no sense.
(07:29):
And speaking of things that don't make sense,
that brings us to another theory making the rounds online.
This one connects Hurricane Helene
to another valuable resource, Lithium.
Lithium.
Okay, now we're going from weather control
to what, electric car battery conspiracies.
This just gets weirder and weirder.
Lithium.
Okay, so we're going from weather control conspiracies
(07:50):
to what, electric car battery plots?
This is a wild ride.
It really is, isn't it?
So there's this theory going around, right?
That Hurricane Helene, that it was deliberately steered
or get this maybe even manufactured,
to clear land for, you guessed it,
lithium mining operations.
Wait, hold on.
People are actually claiming that the hurricane
(08:11):
was like an inside job to benefit the Lithium industry,
that seems far-fetched, even for the internet.
I know, right?
It sounds totally crazy,
but there's just enough real-world stuff happening
to make it seem, well, maybe not plausible,
but not totally bonkers either.
The demand for Lithium, it's exploded recently.
Makes sense.
(08:31):
It's in everything these days,
electric car batteries, phones.
Exactly.
And there's a lot of pressure,
especially here in the US,
to make sure we have enough of it.
Right, gotta secure the supply chains,
everyone's talking about it.
But what does any of this have to do with Hurricane Helene?
So we did some digging,
and it turns out there's this proposed Lithium mine
in North Carolina, right in the path of the storm.
(08:53):
Okay.
Yeah, Piedmont Lithium.
That's the company they've been working on.
Something called the Carolina Lithium Project
over in Gaston County.
Gaston County, that's...
Think I mentioned it, it was right in Helene's path.
The project basically aims to get Lithium
from this area called the Carolina Tin Spodamine Belt,
which, you know...
Stamosfort's Lithium deposits.
Exactly.
So you've got this potential Lithium Gold Rush happening,
(09:15):
right?
A hurricane tears through the exact same area,
and suddenly conspiracy theorists
are putting two and two together.
Right, two plus two equals five, as always.
Pretty much.
Is it the most ridiculous thing we've ever heard?
No.
But here's the thing.
There's absolutely zero evidence
that Hurricane Helene was anything other
than a natural disaster.
(09:36):
These theories just, they feed off of people's fears.
It's like when something this big and scary happens,
and there are no easy answers,
people want someone or something to blame.
Totally.
We want to believe there's a reason,
even if it's a crazy one.
But it just highlights how important it is to, you know,
think critically about stuff,
especially the things we see online.
Just because something sounds plausible,
(09:57):
doesn't mean it's true.
100%.
So as we wrap up here, I guess the big question is,
what do we do with all this?
How do we navigate this world
where there's so much information,
so much misinformation,
and honestly, so much uncertainty?
Well, for starters, be informed.
Don't just rely on like one source for your news, you know.
(10:18):
Check things out, look for credible sources,
get different perspectives.
And don't be afraid to be a little skeptical too.
Right.
If something sounds too good to be true,
or too crazy to be real, it probably is.
Solid advice for like life in general, I think.
Well, on that note, I think that's about all the time
we have for today's deep dive.
It's been intense, to say the least.
(10:42):
Definitely a lot to unpack.
But that's what we do here, right?
We dig deep, try to make sense of the chaos,
and hopefully get people thinking a little differently
about the world around them.
And hey, sometimes we even uncover
a conspiracy theory or two along the way.
As always, thanks for listening,
and we'll catch you next time for another deep dive.
Hey everyone and welcome back for another deep dive.
(00:03):
You know sometimes the news cycle
throws these curveballs at us,
stories that just kind of weave together
all these like totally random threads
in the most unexpected ways.
It's like when someone hit shuffle
on current events or something.
Exactly.
And this time we're talking about Hurricane Helene,
the tech we use every single day
and you guessed it, a few conspiracy theories
(00:24):
just for good measure.
Sounds about right.
So ready to dive in.
Let's do it.
Where do we even start with something like this?
Well, I think the best place to begin
is with the undeniable.
Hurricane Helene, it was brutal.
Over 100 lives lost and millions without power.
Yeah, pretty stark reminder of just
how powerful nature can be.
Totally.
(00:44):
We've been looking through firsthand accounts, reports,
you know the usual, even stuff on social media
just trying to understand the impact.
And one thing is clear behind these huge numbers.
There are real people whose lives were totally upended.
People like, what was that story we saw
about the young mother who had to evacuate?
Eve Reed Dull, right, from Hendersonville, North Carolina,
(01:06):
had to evacuate with her baby
and she's been glued to TikTok ever since,
just desperately trying to get updates
about her home and family.
Heartbreaking.
And sadly, it's something we see over and over again
after these kinds of disasters.
But it's not just the immediate danger.
You're right, there's this whole other layer
of like economic fallout that we're only just
starting to grasp now and this is where things take a turn
(01:26):
for, well, the weird.
That's how we ended up in Spruce Pine, North Carolina
population, 2,194.
Spruce Pine.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, you wouldn't think a small town tucked away
in the Blue Ridge Mountains would suddenly
be making global headlines.
Right, it's known for its art scene
and like gorgeous mountain views.
So what could this charming little town possibly have to do
(01:48):
with the global tech industry?
It's all about what's under the surface, literally.
Spruce Pine sits on America's only source
of ultra-high purity courts, a resource so vital
that calling it courts almost feels like an understatement.
Wait, hold up, are you saying this tiny town
in the middle of nowhere is sitting on a gold mine of rocks
and that the entire tech world relies on these rocks?
(02:10):
Essentially, yes.
We're talking about a level of purity here
that's almost impossible to comprehend.
This courts is so flawless, so unbelievably pure
that it's used to make the crucibles used
in semiconductor and solar panel manufacturing.
Crucibles, those are.
Hold on, remind me what a crucible is again.
It's like a, what, a high-tech oven for computer chips?
You're not wrong.
It's a specialized container, incredibly high-tech,
(02:31):
that can withstand the insane heat
and needs to be absolutely 100% pure,
especially when you're talking about making
the tiny components that power, well, everything these days.
So like, our phones, laptops.
All of it, semiconductors, solar panels, all of it.
We're talking about technology
that needs such a crazy level of precision
that even a single atom out of place
(02:52):
can completely ruin the whole process.
So we've got this one tiny town, right,
that's basically responsible for the super pure courts
that we need to make, what, everything.
Our phones, our laptops, even solar panels,
and then Hurricane Helene just slams into the region.
I'm kind of starting to see where this is going
and it's not looking great.
You got it.
(03:12):
The reports from Spruce Pine have been,
well, pretty concerning.
Both of the big courts mining companies there,
of course, Corporation and Cibyl Co, they had to shut down
completely on September 26th.
Okay, not ideal, but I'm guessing those companies
have some sort of backup plan, right?
They wouldn't just operate without a safety net, would they?
They do, but it's not a perfect system.
Chipmakers usually keep a certain amount
(03:34):
of this high purity courts in stock,
just because they know how important it is.
We're not gonna like run out tomorrow or anything.
Okay, that's something at least.
But how long are we talking about here?
What happens if those mines are offline for weeks
or even months?
Well, that's when things could get a little messy.
We could be looking at some major delays in manufacturing.
Everything from the latest phones and computers to-
(03:56):
The electric cars. Exactly.
Semiconductors are everywhere these days.
That demand just keeps growing.
What about the solar industry?
We were just talking about how we need these crucibles
to make solar panels too.
Right, if this shortage of high purity courts drags on,
it could really throw a wrench into the global push
for renewable energy and all that.
So yeah, this isn't just about tech anymore.
(04:17):
We're talking about a ripple effect
that could impact everything.
So we've got potential global economic meltdowns,
supply chains going haywire.
This is starting to feel like a disaster movie,
except it's actually happening.
Definitely highlights just how interconnected our world is now
and how vulnerable all of it is to these disruptions
in critical supply chains.
(04:39):
But speaking of vulnerabilities,
there's another side to this story
that we haven't even touched on yet.
Misinformation. Oh boy, here we go.
It's unfortunate, but honestly,
it's not all that surprising.
Anytime you have a disaster this big,
something like Hurricane Helene
that affects so many people,
it creates the perfect breeding ground
for all sorts of misinformation to spread.
(05:00):
And we're not just talking about like,
harmless rumors either.
This stuff can have real life consequences.
Absolutely.
We've seen some wild theories popping up online,
everything from accusations
that Biden's administration is withholding aid.
Which by the way, even Republican governors
have come out and said is totally false.
Right, but it doesn't seem to matter.
And then you've got those theories
that the hurricane was like intentionally created
(05:24):
by the government.
Oh yeah, right, the whole HARP thing.
Wasn't that some kind of weather control weapon?
It sounds like something out of a comic book,
but that's actually a real thing, yeah.
HARP stands for High Frequency
Active Aroral Research Program.
And it's a real research facility, but...
It's not what people think it is.
HARP studies the ionosphere.
(05:44):
That's that layer way up high in the arc's atmosphere.
You know, the one that protects us from solar radiation
and all that.
Right, the ionosphere.
Okay, got it.
So less controlling the weather, more scientific research.
Exactly.
HARP is essentially just trying to understand
how this layer of the atmosphere works.
It's like listening to the earth's heartbeat,
(06:04):
not controlling it.
Okay, that makes a lot more sense.
Still doesn't explain how it could control hurricanes though.
It can't.
It's like trying to, I don't know,
control the tides of the leaf blower.
The scales of energy involved are just totally different.
Even the director of HARP, Jessica Matthews,
she's gone on record debunking this.
And NOA scientist Howard Diamond too,
he said HARP had absolutely nothing to do
(06:26):
with Hurricane Helene.
So we've got the experts saying it's impossible, and yet,
people are still clinging to this whole,
the government can control the weather idea.
It's weird, right?
What is it about these conspiracy theories
that's so appealing even when all the evidence
says they're wrong?
Good question.
Something researchers have been trying to figure out
(06:47):
for years, like especially in times of crisis,
when people are scared and looking for answers,
our brains, they prefer a bad explanation
over no explanation at all.
There was actually a study back in 2019
about Hurricane Dorian.
Another hurricane, another round of conspiracy theories.
Exactly.
Social media was full of rumors
and misinformation back then too.
Wild.
It's almost like our brains are hardwired
(07:08):
to look for patterns,
even when they aren't really there.
Right.
And with social media these days,
especially platforms like X, what used to be Twitter,
all these unverified claims get amplified so quickly.
It's getting harder and harder to tell
what's real and what's not.
It's like, when there's no reliable information,
people will latch on to anything,
even if it makes no sense.
(07:29):
And speaking of things that don't make sense,
that brings us to another theory making the rounds online.
This one connects Hurricane Helene
to another valuable resource, Lithium.
Lithium.
Okay, now we're going from weather control
to what, electric car battery conspiracies.
This just gets weirder and weirder.
Lithium.
Okay, so we're going from weather control conspiracies
(07:50):
to what, electric car battery plots?
This is a wild ride.
It really is, isn't it?
So there's this theory going around, right?
That Hurricane Helene, that it was deliberately steered
or get this maybe even manufactured,
to clear land for, you guessed it,
lithium mining operations.
Wait, hold on.
People are actually claiming that the hurricane
(08:11):
was like an inside job to benefit the Lithium industry,
that seems far-fetched, even for the internet.
I know, right?
It sounds totally crazy,
but there's just enough real-world stuff happening
to make it seem, well, maybe not plausible,
but not totally bonkers either.
The demand for Lithium, it's exploded recently.
Makes sense.
(08:31):
It's in everything these days,
electric car batteries, phones.
Exactly.
And there's a lot of pressure,
especially here in the US,
to make sure we have enough of it.
Right, gotta secure the supply chains,
everyone's talking about it.
But what does any of this have to do with Hurricane Helene?
So we did some digging,
and it turns out there's this proposed Lithium mine
in North Carolina, right in the path of the storm.
(08:53):
Okay.
Yeah, Piedmont Lithium.
That's the company they've been working on.
Something called the Carolina Lithium Project
over in Gaston County.
Gaston County, that's...
Think I mentioned it, it was right in Helene's path.
The project basically aims to get Lithium
from this area called the Carolina Tin Spodamine Belt,
which, you know...
Stamosfort's Lithium deposits.
Exactly.
So you've got this potential Lithium Gold Rush happening,
(09:15):
right?
A hurricane tears through the exact same area,
and suddenly conspiracy theorists
are putting two and two together.
Right, two plus two equals five, as always.
Pretty much.
Is it the most ridiculous thing we've ever heard?
No.
But here's the thing.
There's absolutely zero evidence
that Hurricane Helene was anything other
than a natural disaster.
(09:36):
These theories just, they feed off of people's fears.
It's like when something this big and scary happens,
and there are no easy answers,
people want someone or something to blame.
Totally.
We want to believe there's a reason,
even if it's a crazy one.
But it just highlights how important it is to, you know,
think critically about stuff,
especially the things we see online.
Just because something sounds plausible,
(09:57):
doesn't mean it's true.
100%.
So as we wrap up here, I guess the big question is,
what do we do with all this?
How do we navigate this world
where there's so much information,
so much misinformation,
and honestly, so much uncertainty?
Well, for starters, be informed.
Don't just rely on like one source for your news, you know.
(10:18):
Check things out, look for credible sources,
get different perspectives.
And don't be afraid to be a little skeptical too.
Right.
If something sounds too good to be true,
or too crazy to be real, it probably is.
Solid advice for like life in general, I think.
Well, on that note, I think that's about all the time
we have for today's deep dive.
It's been intense, to say the least.
(10:42):
Definitely a lot to unpack.
But that's what we do here, right?
We dig deep, try to make sense of the chaos,
and hopefully get people thinking a little differently
about the world around them.
And hey, sometimes we even uncover
a conspiracy theory or two along the way.
As always, thanks for listening,
and we'll catch you next time for another deep dive.
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