Academic Scientific JournalsEnergy as a Necessity. Analysis of the Energy History of Civilization According to Vaclav Smil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26881/kg.2024.2.09Keywords:
Energy, civilization, Vaclav Smil, energy density, quantification, agrarian revolution, industrial revolution, inventionAbstract
Vaclav Smil's book deals with the energy side of civilizational changes. The researcher discusses, in chronological order, selected inventions and new technical solutions. He describes their energy yield. Based on his own calculations and estimates, he shows how human innovation not only made work easier, but also contributed to its greater efficiency. The Czech-Canadian researcher believes that the energy aspect of devices and inventions is a significant factor in determining their future fate (implementation or abandonment). He also emphasizes the role of the "human factor", that is, the ingenuity and labour of inventors, designers, scientists, in shaping the face and pace of civilizational development.
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