The bottom of the supply chain for products like iPhones, Teslas, and Samsung devices. It takes place in an industrial cobalt mine, which is unexpected because cobalt is typically mined using machinery. However, in this case, there are over 15,000 artisanal miners who are manually digging with tools instead of using heavy equipment.

Joe Rogan’s video he captures the intense and harsh conditions in the mine. You can hear the sounds of mallets, shouting, and grunting as thousands of individuals work for meager wages of $1 or $2 a day. The cobalt they are mining is toxic to breathe, yet the workers have no masks or protective gear. Some of them are even wearing flip-flops, which is highly unsafe.

It’s disheartening as it reveals children covered in filth and toxic dust up to their shoulders. Teenagers are also shown carrying babies on their backs while being exposed to harmful cobalt dust. These workers are barely surviving on such low wages in hazardous conditions. It is particularly distressing considering the supposed progress and enlightenment of our current era.