Beyond the Headlines: Why the world's microchip supply is fragile

Microchips are integral to almost everything we do. They keep planes in the sky and cars on the roads; they are the brains of almost every modern device we use. It is microchips that enable us to walk around with smart watches more powerful than computers that took up whole rooms just a few decades ago.

But what would happen if we suddenly couldn't get hold of new chips? This is a question that worried experts and legislators around the world for a while. And it is no longer a hypothetical thought experiment; it’s now a real issue.

This week on Beyond the Headlines, host James Haines Young delves into why the world could be running out of microchips — and what that means for us all.

A view shows Samsung Electronics' chip production plant at Pyeongtaek, South Korea, in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on September 7, 2022. Samsung Electronics/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY

A view shows Samsung Electronics' chip production plant at Pyeongtaek, South Korea, in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on September 7, 2022. Samsung Electronics/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY

An ASML staff gives a tour to guests inside their innovation truck at SEMICON Taiwan in Taipei, Taiwan, September 14, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) Fab 15B, one of the company's four giga semiconductor fabrication plants, is pictured in Taichung, Taiwan September 2, 2021. Picture taken September 2, 2021. REUTERS/Yimou Lee To match Special Report TAIWAN-CHINA/CHIPS

ICHEON, SOUTH KOREA - AUGUST 25: Workers work at SK HYNIX Inc. plant on August 25, 2015 in Icheon, South Korea. South Korean chip giant SK Hynix Inc. said on August 25, 2015 that it will spend 46 trillion won (US$38.2 billion) to build three new semiconductor production lines over the next 10 years in an effort to bolster its market position and join government efforts to revitalize the economy. (Photo by Kim Min-Hee-Pool/Getty Images)

epa10187815 A computer motherboard of ASUSTek Computer Inc. is on display at a Science park in Hsinchu county, Taiwan, 16 September 2022. Taiwan Semiconductor companies provide more than 60 percent of all orders around the world. EPA-EFE/RITCHIE B. TONGO

An employee works at a factory of Renesas Semiconductor Co. during a government organised tour of the facility following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Beijing, China May 14, 2020. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

HSINCHU, TAIWAN - SEPTEMBER 16: A student wears cleanroom suit conducts a research inside the clean room of Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institution during a press semiconductor tour at Hsinchu Science Park on September 16, 2022 in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Taiwan's semiconductor manufacturing capabilities are crucial to global supply chains, with megacap companies like Apple, Nvidia and Qualcomm heavily dependent on the island's exports. Taiwan accounts for some 60 percent of global semiconductor foundry revenue, according to media reports. (Photo by Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)

Employees change out their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) before their lunch break at a factory of Renesas Semiconductor Co. during a government organised tour of the facility following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Beijing, China May 14, 2020. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

HSINCHU, TAIWAN - SEPTEMBER 16: A closeup of a silicon wafer on display at Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institution on September 16, 2022 in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Taiwan's semiconductor manufacturing capabilities are crucial to global supply chains, with megacap companies like Apple, Nvidia and Qualcomm heavily dependent on the island's exports. Taiwan accounts for some 60 percent of global semiconductor foundry revenue, according to media reports. (Photo by Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)

HSINCHU, TAIWAN - SEPTEMBER 16: A closeup of a circuit board on display at Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institution on September 16, 2022 in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Taiwan's semiconductor manufacturing capabilities are crucial to global supply chains, with megacap companies like Apple, Nvidia and Qualcomm heavily dependent on the island's exports. Taiwan accounts for some 60 percent of global semiconductor foundry revenue, according to media reports. (Photo by Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)

HSINCHU, TAIWAN - SEPTEMBER 16: A closeup of a circuit board on display at the Macronix International Co. Ltd on September 16, 2022 in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Taiwan's semiconductor manufacturing capabilities are crucial to global supply chains, with megacap companies like Apple, Nvidia and Qualcomm heavily dependent on the island's exports. Taiwan accounts for some 60 percent of global semiconductor foundry revenue, according to media reports. (Photo by Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)