The subject that I chose to map is the computer processor – the most intricate component that humans ever made. I was surprised by how little material is required to make a processor. We need silicon – a kind of semiconductor to manage basic electron flow in a circuit. We also need copper, the most commonly-used conductor to pass electrons. We need a board that is capable of holding our silicon chips and thin copper plates. Finally, we need a kind of special adhesive to glue everything together. As you see on the list above, the natural material that we need is sand, copper, and oil. Sand can make pure silicon and glass. Copper can make wire. The by-product of condensing oil can make plastic. Silicon and copper are almost 100% recyclable. So we can say that the making process of a computer processor by itself is pretty environmentally friendly. System Map
