Summary of Vaclav Smil's How the World Really Works

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 A benign science fiction scenario is that an extremely sapient civilization monitors Earth and its inhabitants. The probes make periodic visits to our planet, and only when they detect a previously unknown form of energy conversion or a new physical manifestation dependent on it do they make a second pass.

#2 The first microorganisms emerge nearly 4 billion years ago, but passing probes do not register them, as they are rare and remain hidden associated with alkaline hydrothermal vents at the ocean’s floor.

#3 The first extrasomatic use of energy is the controlled combustion of plants to create light and heat, which is used for cooking and comfort. The first crop cultivation is recorded about 10 millennia ago.

#4 By 1800, the UK is the most interesting country to the alien probe because it is an exceptional early adopter. The country has a early start in coal mining, and begins to use steam engines to power machines.

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