Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Big Picture Science for Dec. 25, 2023 - Iron, Coal, Wood







Big Picture Science - Iron, Coal, Wood

REPEAT
Maybe you don’t remember the days of the earliest coal-fired stoves. They changed domestic life, and that changed society. We take you back to that era, and to millennia prior when iron was first smelt, and even earlier, when axe-handles were first fashioned from wood, as we explore how three essential materials profoundly transformed society.

We were once excited about coal’s promise to provide cheap energy, and how iron would lead to indestructible bridges, ships, and buildings. But they also caused some unintended problems: destruction of forests, greenhouse gases and corrosion. Did we foresee where the use of wood, coal, and iron would lead? What lessons do they offer for our future?

Guests:


This repeat podcast originally aired on February 1, 2021

Download podcast at - https://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/iron-coal-wood

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://bigpicturescience.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.

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