Minerals and Mathematics

How explosives have shaped our world:

In order to maintain our standard of living in the United States, every day 187,000 tons of cement are mixed, 35 million paper clips are purchased, 21 million photographs are taken using millions of ounces of silver…80 pounds of gold are used to fill 500,000 cavities and 3.6 million light bulbs are purchased. Few people know that 42 different minerals are used to make a telephone and 35 are used to make a color television. Even everyday products such as talcum powder, toothpaste, cosmetics and medicines contain minerals, all of which must be mined using explosives.

And where there are explosives, there is a great need for math — no arguing with that!! Oh, how important math is in context of explosives; we need math to measure and control their destructive power. Some uses of explosives — canon, old guns — we might not need math for; but many uses — building demolition, bombs, mass production of cartridges — we do need math for. The quote is from a Website called “The World of Explosives,” which says about itself:

This site was developed for the general public by the Society of Explosives Engineeers, Inc. to show the important role explosives have played in the development of our society. Explosives have had a profound influence on every individual. Their use in the extraction of materials (metals, rock, coal) and application in the building of roads, dams, foundations, tunnels and railroads have made our standard of living what it is today.

One page on the site is a long list of “The Many Uses of Explosives.” HT: Michael S