NEW HAVEN, Connecticut — It has always been interesting to me how much of a role sheer coincidence has played in the history of the world.
To offer one example: By the mid-18th century, Britain had the largest shipbuilding industry in the world. Yet as its yards were launching hundreds if not thousands of sailing ships each year, certain English inventors were creating the magic of the steam engine, which produced vast amounts of assured energy. Putting steam engines into ships led, of course, to steamships replacing sailing vessels.
And where lay the most heat-efficient coals in the entire world? In the special bituminous coals of South Wales. Shipbuilding, steam power and coals carried the British Empire onward, for another 150 years. A nice coincidence for it and its inhabitants.