The Stepchange Show

by Ben Eidelson & Anay Shah

Stepchange tells the stories of human progress through the lens of transformative technologies, systems, and infrastructure. Each episode unpacks a crucial innovation that fundamentally changed how we live, work, and relate to one another.

“If you like Acquired, you will love the Stepchange podcast”

Ben Gilbert, Acquired

1890: Hollerith's tabulator processed the U.S. Census in 2 years vs. 7 years manually

1970s-1980s: Personal computers challenged centralized mainframe dominance

1998: Google's first data center bill from Exodus Communications—just $8,830/month

1990s-2000s: Submarine cables carrying 99% of international internet traffic

2010s: Modern hyperscale data centers powering cloud computing

2024: Meta's 5-gigawatt Hyperion campus—the scale required for AI training

Episode III

Sep 15, 2025

Data Centers

The Hidden Backbone of Our Modern World

Every time you stream a show, send an email, or ask ChatGPT a question, you're tapping into vast warehouses filled with servers—data centers that now consume as much electricity as entire countries. As AI and cloud computing explode, these invisible facilities have become one of the fastest-growing energy sectors on earth. This episode traces how we built the digital infrastructure that powers modern life, why it demands so much energy, and what data centers mean for our climate future.

Key Moments

1890Hollerith's tabulator

1960sMainframe era begins

1990sInternet data centers

2006Cloud computing era

2023AI boom begins

1.The Mechanical Brain

2.The SAGE System

3.The Glass Houses Were King

4.The Birth of the Internet

5.The Personal Computer Arrives

6.The Commercial Internet

7.Rise of the Hyperscalers

8.The Cloud Matures

9.The Great Acceleration

10.The AI Factory

Dive in

1900s: J.P. Morgan's financial empire controlled the flow of coal across America

1850s-1900s: The Bessemer converter transformed coal-fueled iron into steel

1900s: Modern coal power plant turbines powering the 20th century

1920s: Mao organizing coal miners—establishing the link between labor and power

Modern era: Mountaintop removal mining reshaping landscapes at unprecedented scale

1906: HMS Dreadnought—coal as geopolitical weapon revolutionizing naval dominance

2012: Beijing air pollution crisis forcing China toward ecological civilization

Episode II

Apr 27, 2025

Coal: Part II

The Invisible Giant (~1900-Present)

After dominating global energy for over a century, coal is now in rapid retreat—displaced by natural gas, renewable energy, and mounting climate concerns. But coal's decline hasn't been smooth or universal. This episode examines why some regions cling to coal while others phase it out, what coal's fall teaches us about energy transitions, and how understanding its legacy shapes our path to decarbonization.

Key Moments

1900Morgan's coal empire

1950sPeak coal era

1970sEnvironmental concerns

2000sNatural gas competition

2020sRapid decline

1.Introduction & Recap

2.Arteries of Capital: Morgan & The Railroads

3.The Age of Steel: Carnegie's Empire

4.The Physics of Light: Electricity's Dawn

5.The Machine in the Garden: Building the Grid

6.The Great Acceleration: China and the Modern Coal Wars

7.The Great Displacement & The Eastern Rise

8.The Modern Inferno & The Red Dragon

9.Shockwaves & Resurgence

10.Market Forces & Global Divergence

11.The Long Shadow of King Coal

Dive in

Bituminous coal—the dense, energy-rich fuel that transformed human civilization

Ancient swamps: Peat gathering represents humanity's earliest use of fossilized plant matter

1900s: Lewis Hine's photograph captures the brutal human cost of the coal economy

1779: The Iron Bridge at Coalbrookdale—first major cast-iron structure

1712: Newcomen's atmospheric steam engine launched the age of steam power

1829: Stephenson's Rocket transformed global commerce through steam railways

2023: Global coal consumption reaches all-time high despite climate concerns

Modern era: Massive coal infrastructure continues worldwide despite climate commitments

Episode I

Jan 20, 2025

Coal: Part I

The Black Rock That Built Our World

Before coal, most people lived and died within miles of where they were born, powered by muscle, wind, and flowing water. Coal changed everything. This episode explores how a black rock formed from ancient swamps became the foundation of modern civilization—powering the Industrial Revolution, reshaping cities, and creating the electrical grid that still defines our lives today.

Key Moments

400M BCEAncient swamps form coal

1550sEngland's wood shortage

1709Darby unlocks iron

1825Railways connect the world

1876Coal powers America

1.The Black Rock That Built Our World

2.The Carboniferous Genesis

3.Early Sparks, Ancient Use

4.The Black Death and a King's Frustration

5.The Domestic Revolution

6.Iron's Fiery Embrace