Chemistry 101

Chemistry 101

From Mises Media by Mises Institute

April 25, 2026 · Episode 170

About this episode

Mark Thornton discusses the market's structure of production using sulfur as a case study and its implications on costs due to war and intervention.

On this episode of Minor Issues, Mark Thornton shows what most economic commentary misses: the market’s intricate structure of production. Starting with a single oil-and-gas byproduct—sulfur—Mark traces how it becomes sulfuric acid, a foundational input for fertilizers, batteries, and especially metal mining. The lesson is practical: war and intervention can disrupt these unseen links, shrinking real incomes and quietly raising the cost of everything from food production to data centers, and even your next plumbing bill. In the second part of the episode, Mark features his recent interview on The Julia La Roche Show. 20% off listener offer on the new insulated Minor Issues tumbler and three of Mark's books, signed if ordered by the end of April: https://mises.org/MinorIssuesTumbler . Use coupon code Thornton. Be sure to follow Minor Issues at https://Mises.org/MinorIssues

People in this episode

Host: Mark Thornton

Topics covered

  • economics
  • production
  • war
  • intervention
  • sulfur
  • fertilizers
  • cost of living

Keywords

  • sulfur
  • sulfuric acid
  • fertilizers
  • economic commentary
  • cost of living
  • intervention
  • production

Sponsors

Minor Issues

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Mises Institute, The Julia La Roche Show

Products: Minor Issues tumbler, Mark's books

More episodes of Mises Media

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Mises Media podcast page.