January Week 3 - 2026

WORLD RESET
Why Greenland is the New Center of Global Geopolitics

The Arctic has long been a region of quiet scientific exploration, but in 2026, it has transformed into the "high ground" of the northern hemisphere. As global powers pivot toward nationalist approaches to supply chain security, Greenland has emerged as a critical pivot point for national security and resource independence. The territory's unique geography makes it a dominant position over North America, Europe, and the Arctic, serving as the shortest path for advanced weaponry and a vital hub for early warning missile defense systems.

Beyond its defensive utility, the island is home to a massive "treasure chest" of rare earth minerals essential for the next generation of technology. Resources such as gallium, zinc, uranium, graphite, and cobalt are critical to the development of semiconductors and artificial intelligence. Controlling these supplies is increasingly seen as a way to reduce reliance on dominant global players like China, which currently controls the vast majority of rare earth processing.

This strategic interest is also driven by the rapid expansion of the "Polar Silk Road," an Arctic extension of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. As Arctic ice melts, new shipping routes are emerging that bypass traditional choke points like the Suez Canal, creating a trade corridor that unites the capital of China with the geography of Russia. For Western powers, preventing foreign influence from securing a foothold in Greenland is a matter of maintaining economic and military leverage in the Western Hemisphere.

This shift toward securing critical infrastructure has already begun to impact financial markets. Historically, major policy announcements regarding territorial acquisitions or trade restrictions trigger a cycle of market volatility, often leading to a "dip" in equities followed by a recovery as negotiations proceed. Ultimately, the push for Greenland represents a broader move toward "real-world resilience," where control over physical geography and raw materials determines a nation's long-term standing in the global economy.

TECH RESET
Could X-Ray Lithography Topple TSMC & ASML?

The semiconductor industry is currently defined by a delicate balance of power between two giants: TSMC, which manufactures approximately 90% of the world's most advanced chips, and ASML, the sole provider of the lithography machines required to print them. This status quo is now being challenged by Substrate, a U.S.-based startup aiming to disrupt the entire advanced manufacturing model by replacing traditional extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography with X-ray technology.

The core of the issue lies in the escalating costs and complexity of EUV lithography. As transistors shrink toward the angstrom era, the industry must rely on multi-patterning, which requires multiple expensive passes to print fine features. This has driven the cost of a single high NA EUV tool toward half a billion dollars, with leading edge factories projected to cost $50 billion each by the end of the decade. Substrate proposes a radical departure, utilizing X-ray lithography with a wavelength up to 1,000 times shorter than EUV. This allows for the printing of sub-nanometer features in a single exposure, potentially reducing the cost of a lithography tool from $500 million to just $50 million.

Substrate's approach is not merely about a better machine; they intend to build entirely new chip factories around this tool in the United States, offering foundry services to compete directly with established players. They have already demonstrated consistent 12 nanometer feature printing with accuracy down to 0.25 nanometers, comparable to the most advanced EUV systems. If successful, this technology could democratize advanced chipmaking by lowering the barrier to entry for startups and smaller companies. By cutting manufacturing costs by half, it would enable faster iterations and accelerate innovation across artificial intelligence and mobile computing, much like how reusability transformed the space industry.

TECH RESET
The CERN Controversy The Shifting Sands of Reality

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, a 27-kilometer underground ring spanning the border of Switzerland and France, stands as the most ambitious physics experiment in human history. Since its activation in 2008, it has pushed the boundaries of our understanding of the universe, most notably confirming the existence of the Higgs Boson in 2012. However, the sheer scale of the energy levels involved has prompted questions about whether these experiments might be affecting the very fabric of reality.

One of the most persistent theories suggests a link between CERN’s high-energy particle collisions and the "Mandela Effect" a phenomenon where large groups of people share vivid memories that differ from recorded history. Notable examples include collective memories of a monocle on the Monopoly man or a specific spelling of the Berenstain Bears that the official record denies. Proponents of this theory, including some young scientific minds, suggest that the collider may have inadvertently shifted our world into a parallel timeline or slightly altered the weight of subatomic particles, creating a mismatch between human memory and the current physical state.

Beyond memory discrepancies, the strategic placement of CERN near the geologically active Mont Blanc massif has raised interest. Some observers point to the historical precedent of ancient civilizations placing monumental structures like the Great Pyramid of Giza at specific geographic and energetic intersections. While officially chosen for its political neutrality and stability, the location’s natural electromagnetic and tectonic characteristics could play a role in supporting machines that push matter to its absolute limits. As CERN plans even larger facilities, the gap between official scientific narratives and the lived experience of the public continues to fuel a debate over what it truly means to observe and perhaps alter the nature of reality. 😳

DISCLAIMER:
This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions or investments. Please be careful and do your own research.