> Why the stagnation for so long? Because it tooks us a long time to understand and harness energy. To go from primarily human energy only to external energy.

> Why the stagnation for so long? Because it tooks us a long time to understand and harness energy. To go from primarily human energy only to external energy. For example, the ability to turn a barrel of oil into work changed the game. People say the industrial revolution was the game changer. It wasn't. It was oil. Human civilization and progress seems to be directly related to energy use. What separated the US from britain and europe was our endless supply of oil. It isn't an accident that the wealthiest man and the most valuable company of the 19th century was Rockefeller of Standard Oil. Oil unleashed an enormous amount of energy that facilitated pretty much all of modern civilization - including the stupendous rise in population.