[How About This Book] The '6 Materials' That Changed Human Civilization

Sand and Salt, Iron Leading the Industrial Revolution
Copper Essential for Power Grids, Oil
and Lithium, the Star of the Eco-Friendly Era
Exploring Human Civilization History
Through Materials That Greatly Influenced It

In August 1915, during the height of World War I, Britain attempted a secret deal with its enemy, Germany. Agents from the Ministry of Munitions were covertly sent to Switzerland to inquire whether binoculars could be purchased from a German company.

At the time, Germany was a dominant nation in the field of precision optics, including binoculars, telescopes, periscopes, and scientific lenses. The rifle telescopic sights monopolized by Germany were a major headache for the Allied forces in the early stages of the war. It was surprising that Britain sought to purchase military supplies from enemy Germany to strengthen its military power, but even more astonishing was that Germany accepted Britain’s proposal. Documents have confirmed that Germany sent 32,000 binoculars to Britain. In exchange, Germany demanded rubber from Britain. Germany was struggling to obtain rubber latex, which was used in automobile tires and engine fan belts. The main rubber-producing countries were Allied colonial nations, and rubber imports had been cut off since the outbreak of the war.

The World of Materials is an intriguing book that explores human civilization by integrating six materials that have greatly influenced human history. Although rubber, which Germany lacked, is not included among the six materials, sand?the raw material for glass, a key component of binoculars needed by Britain?is included. The book examines how sand, salt, iron, copper, petroleum, and lithium have impacted humanity.

During World War I, Britain’s glass self-sufficiency rate was only 10%. It imported 60% of its required glass from Germany and the remaining 30% from France. Why did Britain pay so little attention to glass production? The explanation is almost laughable. Britain was a leading nation in commercial glass production and advanced optics during the 17th and 18th centuries. However, the window tax introduced by King William III in 1696 caused trouble. The tax was imposed to increase revenue, based on the assumption that wealthier people lived in houses with more windows. The window tax led to the decline of the British glass industry.

To explain the influence of the six materials on humanity, the author covers various fields including politics, economics, history, and culture. When discussing lithium, it is introduced as one of the three primordial elements created alongside hydrogen and helium during the Big Bang, making it one of the oldest substances in the universe, though it went unnoticed for a long time. The author notes that in its early days, lithium was primarily used as a medicine and was highly effective in treating bipolar disorder and depression, as confirmed by the lyrics of the band Nirvana.

The author asserts that salt is the best starting point for understanding capitalism and power. Salt is also deeply connected to taxation. In China, salt taxes were imposed as early as the 7th century BCE. Guan Zhong, the prime minister of the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period, advocated controlling salt trade and taxation in his political treatise Guanzi. "If you impose a poll tax on adults and children, the people will complain and resist. But if you announce a policy to tax salt, the ruler’s revenue will increase a hundredfold, and the people cannot avoid it. This is what is called fiscal management."

Ancient Rome was the first culture to officially distribute salt to soldiers. Soldiers received a fixed ration of salt along with their pay. The English word “salary” derives from the Latin “salarium,” meaning “salt money.” In ancient Africa, merchants exchanged salt for gold. Salt was used as a form of currency to pay for goods or purchase slaves.

The salt tax was also a cause of the French Revolution in 1789. The French government’s salt tax, called “gabelle,” was high and discriminatory across regions, symbolizing oppression. At the time of the revolution, French citizens were required to purchase 7 kg of salt per person annually.

From iron, which led the Industrial Revolution, to copper, the key material for building electrical grids, and petroleum, which created the plastic world, the author’s final focus is on lithium. It is the core material for future generations.

Because lithium reacts very quickly, producing bubbles or explosions when exposed to water and air, it was previously considered a dangerous substance. However, it is extremely light?so light it floats on oil?and has superior energy storage capabilities compared to any other material, making lithium a rising star to lead the eco-friendly era after the fossil fuel age.

However, the author expresses concern that the rise of lithium as a key material for the green era might paradoxically lead to environmental destruction. The author points out, “As the world competes to secure more lithium, environmental considerations in the production process have become secondary.” Australia, for example, is making great efforts to extract lithium from rock, but the chemicals used to blast the rock pose a high risk of soil contamination.

The author also voices concerns about the recent moves by the Bolivian government to nationalize lithium. Bolivia’s salt flats contain higher magnesium levels than those in Chile, making the refining process more complicated and potentially less environmentally friendly. Above all, the author worries that resource nationalism could trigger a development race.

The author emphasizes that today’s world is astonishingly interconnected, and dismantling this network seems impossible. Therefore, more than ever, the world must gather wisdom for harmony and cooperation and seek ways to live in balance with the Earth’s environment.

The World of Materials | Written by Ed Conway | Translated by Lee Jong-in | Influential | 584 pages | 29,800 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.