Copper has long been considered a vital material for building and developing technology because of its incredible properties when it comes to electricity. More recently, copper has replaced aluminum in computer chips, resulting in much faster operation and increased circuit integration—up to 200 million transistors on a single chip. Copper also means your electronic devices require less power, which extends battery life. Today, power requirements have dropped to less than 1.8 volts, and chips run cooler than ever before, increasing the efficiency of technology and the lifespan of components. The use of copper conductors in chips is the final link in the now-complete copper chain that forms the electronic data path between the user and the computer. Everything from external cables and connectors to buses to printed circuit boards, sockets, and lead frames is made of copper.

Copper cables also help deliver the Internet at ever-faster speeds. Not long ago, it was believed that only fiber optics could handle large bandwidths. That’s not the case. If you use DSL (HDSL or ADSL), then you have access to high-speed internet connections over copper wires. These technologies allow telephone companies to utilize existing copper wires and allow businesses to adapt to lower-cost communication and networking options without having to switch to high-cost fiber.

Copper is used not only to transmit information, but also to prevent signals from traveling to unwanted places. The National Security Agency building at Fort Meade, Maryland, is wrapped in copper to prevent unauthorized wiretapping. Even the windows have copper screens. Copper blocks radio waves from entering or escaping from espionage activities. Hospitals also use copper wrapping to seal off rooms that contain sensitive equipment such as CAT scanners, MRI scanners, and X-ray machines to prevent problems caused by electromagnetic radiation entering or emitting.