Deep in Zambia’s Copperbelt province, explorers from Kobold Metals are testing the ground for a new mine shaft. Although the arc of copper running through central Africa was first mapped by Victorian explorers and was mined by a colonial British firm, the search for deposits has been only occasionally fruitful in the years since. Kobold’s discovery is the biggest in a century. Born in California and backed by Bill Gates, the company uses everything from ancient maps to artificial intelligence in order to learn about what lies beneath the ground. Perhaps its biggest idea, though, is an economic model, pioneered at Stanford University, that helps process vast reams of information. It guides where Kobold drills, the most important decision for any miner.
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