Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Chris Miller

@cmillerphd.bsky.social

200 followers 150 following 7 posts

Postdoctoral Fellow with the Jackman Humanities Institute at the University of Toronto Studying death, dying, and nonreligion https://chrismiller.ca/

Videos

Christopher R. Miller is an American historian, specialising in economic history and international relations. He is the author of the book Chip War. He is a professor at Tufts University and a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. .. more

Economics 20%

Political science 19%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Substack

The 'War of the Factories'

Rereading Stefan Link's Forging Global Fordism As last week’s rare earth export controls illustrate, China sees industrial capacity as core to its national power. After decades of offshoring, America now dreams of reindustrialization, partly driven by a fear that its hollowed-out industrial base couldn’t compete in a protracted conflict. Before the rare earth moves, I reread Stefan Link’s great book

Reposts 0 4d

Reposted by Chris Miller

Social Repair @socialrepair.bsky.social · 10d

Masterclass announcement! Lori Beaman of @nonreligioncf.bsky.social will be talking to us on "Exploring
Deep Equality" next week on Thursday 16th October.

3pm South Africa / 9am Canada / 10am Brazil / 2pm UK

Zoom link: us06web.zoom.us/j/8160513998...

Access code: 108926

Exploring Deep Equality

Speaker: Prof Lori G. Beaman

Lori G. Beaman is the Canada Research Chair in Religious Diversity and Social Change and a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa. She directs Nonreligion in a Complex Future, an international, comparative, and interdisciplinary project exploring the social impact of the growth of nonreligion in diverse cultural contexts. Her research focuses on nonreligion, religious diversity, equality, and law, engaging both mainstream and underrepresented populations. She is the author of Deep Equality in an Era of Religious Diversity (Oxford University Press).

Thursday 16th October 2025

15:00–16:30 - South Africa / 9:00–10:30 - Canada / 10:00–11:30 - Brazil / 14:00–14:30 - United Kingdom

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81605139987?pwd=0fqVBC5RMrdI5eaQKHiCvEguMespPB.1

Access code: 108926

3 2

Substack

"Every Screen on the Planet": My review of a new book on TikTok

A book recommendation: Emily Baker-White’s Every Screen on the Planet: The War over TikTok, a great account of the TikTok controversy, which is published this week.

Reposts 0 13d

Substack

The Quantum Supply Chain

Some preliminary thoughts Last month I had the opportunity to moderate two different panels at the Chicago Quantum Forum. I’m far from an expert in quantum but have been spending more time in the space, given all the connections between semiconductors, AI and quantum.

Reposts 0 21d

Substack

The "Critical Minerals" Crisis of 100 Years Ago

I review a fascinating dissertation on interwar metals trading and the "Age of Alloy Steel" After Beijing used restrictions on rare earth magnet exports to shut down Ford auto plants and force Trump to stand down in his tariff war with China, reducing America’s minerals dependencies have been a fixation in Washington. The Pentagon signed a very generous deal with America’s only rare earth mining firm, MP Materials, giving the government an equ…

Reposts 0 Sep 14

Substack

Trump wants China "addicted" to Nvidia chips. Beijing has other ideas.

My latest piece for the Financial Times Shortly after US President Donald Trump changed his mind last month and decided that there was, in fact, no security risk in allowing Chinese customers to buy Nvidia’s advanced H20 artificial intelligence chips, Beijing appeared to hesitate. Trump’s reversal looked like a straightforward win for China. Yet Beijing ordered its regulators to investigate w…

Reposts 0 Aug 11

Substack

Are Displays the Next Batteries?

Why screens for phones and computers are a new tech battleground After President Trump tweeted in April that the “WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN” would be investigated for national security risk, it was worth asking what component after chips would attract attention. Rare earth magnets are certainly one. Flat panel displays—the screens in smartphones, TVs, and computers—are another area where economic and security co…

Reposts 0 Aug 6

Substack

America's surprising trade surplus in chips

And other puzzles from semiconductor trade data Here’s a puzzle: South Korea is one of the world’s biggest chip producers. The U.S. runs a trade surplus with it.

Reposts 0 Jul 28

Reposted by Chris Miller

Social Repair @socialrepair.bsky.social · Jul 14

📣Event Announcement!📣

Upcoming online seminar:
To the right, the feminine: Religious women and the struggles over the public policy repertoire in health in Brazil

Tuesday, 22 July 2025
16:00 – 17:00 / South Africa;
10:00 – 11:00 / Ottawa;
11:00 – 12:00 / São Paulo;
15:00 – 16:00 / United Kingdom

To the Right, the Feminine: Religious Women and the Struggles Over the Public Policy Repertoire in Health in Brazil
Speaker: Jacqueline Moraes Teixeira
Jacqueline Moraes Teixeira is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health and Society at the School of Public Health, University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil. She is also a researcher at the Brazilian Center of Analysis and Planning (CEBRAP), where her work explores intersections of gender, race, sexuality, and religion.
She holds a PhD and a Master’s degree in Social Anthropology from USP. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from USP (2008), and a Bachelor’s degree in Theology from Mackenzie Presbyterian University (2012).
Her research focuses on religion and social markers of difference, the role of education in promoting human rights, and how public health policies are shaped and implemented.

Discussant: Ninian Frenguelli
Ninian Frenguelli is a Postdoctoral Research Officer at the Cyber Threats Research Centre (CYTREC), based at Swansea University, Wales, United Kingdom.

DATE: Tuesday, 22 July 2025
TIME: 16:00 – 17:00 / South Africa 10:00 – 11:00 / Canada (Ottawa) 11:00 – 12:00 / Brazil (São Paulo) 15:00 – 16:00 / United Kingdom https://us06web.zoom.us/j/8611 7216945? pwd=fXTVTroazKlrXZDRpSjlvVLk Yk71G2.1

Hosted by: Repairing Sociality, Safeguarding Democragy research group
Funded by the Trans-Atlantic Platform on Democracy, Governance and Trust

Centro Brasileiro de Análise e Planejamento, University of Ottawa, Swansea University, University of the Western Cape, Walter Sisulu University

2 5

Substack

The 'Chip War' Under Trump

I spoke with Aaron Mak of Politico on what we've learned about semiconductor policy as we approach the six month mark of the Trump administration. I spoke with Aaron Mak of Politico on what we've learned about semiconductor policy as we approach the six month mark of the Trump administration.

Reposts 0 Jun 30

Substack

My conversation with Senator Todd Young

At a great event at AEI on science, technology, and R&D Senator Todd Young has been a leading voice in the U.S. Congress on science and technology policy. He played a major role in devising and passing the Chips Act and served on the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology, which just released its final report (link

Reposts 0 Jun 30

Substack

What Apple Can Tell Us About Tech Supply Chain Shifts

My colleague Vishnu Venugopalan of Harvard Kennedy School and I just finished a big analysis of Apple’s supply chain, which you can find here.

Reposts 0 Jun 30

Chris Miller @cmillerphd.bsky.social · Mar 26

Still time to register for the 2025 EIR Conference, happening in just 2 weeks!

Register here: www.eventbrite.ca/e/aar-easter...

Chris Miller @cmillerphd.bsky.social · Feb 19

Registration for our 2025 conference is open! Join us at St. Lawrence University (Canton, NY) as we reflect on 'The Future(s) of Religious Studies'

View the full program on our website: eiraar.org/index.php/re...

Register now: www.eventbrite.ca/e/aar-easter...

@aarweb.bsky.social

A poster advertising the EIR's 2025 conference, running April 4-6 2025. Light blue background with a dark blue foreground, showing a cartoon scholar reflecting on the future of the study of religion within universities.

Substack

Trump Can Make Russia Pay to Rebuild Ukraine

The West has frozen $300 billion of Moscow’s assets, but Europe has stood in the way of using them The key to securing Europe at less cost to U.S. taxpayers may be sitting in European bank accounts. The West has frozen around $300 billion of Russian foreign-exchange assets, but European obstinacy has prevented these funds from being used to compensate Ukraine for war damages. President-elect Trump should insist that the Kremlin’s reserves be mobilize…

Reposts 0 Jan 17

Chris Miller @cmillerphd.bsky.social · Dec 13

CFP closes Monday! Submit proposals here: forms.gle/MMC1qC7BKt78...

Chris Miller @cmillerphd.bsky.social · Nov 28

Just 2 weeks left to submit a proposal for the 2025 AAR Eastern International Region conference.

Join us @stlawrencecollege.bsky.social as we reflect on 'The Future(s) of Religious Studies'!

See the poster below, or our website for more details: eiraar.org/index.php/re...

Proposals due Dec 16!

A poster announcing the Call for Papers for the AAR EIR 2025 conference. The theme of the conference is "The Future(s) of Religious Studies". The date of the conference is April 4-6, 2025. A large paragraph explaining the conference theme reads: "The Humanities in general and Religious Studies in particular face difficult challenges amid the uncertain future of higher education. Nevertheless, the understanding of religion seems crucial to comprehending present conflicts and future developments in our social, economic, and political worlds. We contend that our members are best served by approaching these challenges collaboratively, drawing from multiple perspectives and areas of expertise. We therefore welcome papers and panels that broadly engage the theme across regions, traditions, historical periods, theories, and methods." The poster includes the logos for 3 event sponsors: the American Academy of Religion, New York Six Liberal Arts Consortium, and St. Lawrence University. For more information, the poster invites people to visit the EIR website: https://eiraar.org/index.php/regional-news/2025-conference-call-for-papers

Chris Miller @cmillerphd.bsky.social · Nov 21

#SBLAAR24 folks! I'll be presenting in the Death, Dying, and Beyond Unit on Monday from 3-4:30.

Come learn how people commemorate their relationships with pets and animals in obituaries!

a stuffed animal laying next to a smaller stuffed animal

Alt: Rowlf the dog (a Muppet) petting a small dog

media.tenor.com

2 11

Reposted by Chris Miller

Nonreligion in a Complex Future @nonreligioncf.bsky.social · Nov 13

Hello Bluesky! 👋 We are an international research project based at the University of Ottawa studying the impacts of the rise of nonreligion, focusing on attitudes to death and dying, the environment, education, immigration, the law, and more.

Find out more about our project: nonreligionproject.ca

Home - Nonreligion in a Complex Future Project

nonreligionproject.ca

1 7 13

Chris Miller @cmillerphd.bsky.social · Nov 7

2 papers recently out based on my study of obits

One gives a broad look at our data set: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

The second (w/ co-authors Hannah McKillop & Sohini Ganguly) focuses on changes spurred by declining religion: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Happy to see these out!

www.tandfonline.com

Chris Miller @cmillerphd.bsky.social · Dec 19

The AAR's Eastern International Region currently has an open CFP for our 2024 Conference in Toronto!

See more info in the poster below, or on our website: eiraar.org/index.php/re...