Metallic iron was once the stuff of myth, known only in the form of meteorites. Today, in the hardened form of steel, iron is everywhere. What is this metal that is so indispensable to the modern world? Why is it so hard to make? And how did it go from mythical to mundane? This talk explores the challenges of ironmaking and the solutions humanity has found over the centuries, including the famous Bessemer process that was a watershed of the Industrial Revolution. Talk by Jason Crawford given at the first SF progress studies meetup, Sep 4, 2019.
After the main portion of the talk, he gives brief thoughts on “progress studies”.
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