From a Drop of Oil to Humanity's Future: A Journey of Curiosity About Energy, Civilization, and Ourselves

We live in a world shaped by invisible forces. From the gasoline that powers our cars, to the moment a phone screen lights up, to the distant and complex conflicts in international news, there are hidden threads connecting them all. Today, let’s follow these threads like curious children and explore several seemingly unrelated yet deeply interconnected "whys."

First Stop: Earth's "Kitchen"—Why Does the Middle East Abound in Oil, While China Is Rich in Coal?

Many people know that oil and coal are the "legacy" of ancient life forms. But have you ever wondered why some places became "oil reservoirs" while others turned into "coal storehouses"? The answer lies in two distinct "energy feasts" cooked up by Mother Earth using different "recipes" at different times.

The Birth of Oil: A Tale of Oceanic Romance and Cruelty

Imagine over 100 million years ago, the area we now call the Middle East was a warm, shallow sea known as the Tethys Ocean. It was a paradise for tiny plankton, bathed in sunlight and teeming with life. When these countless microorganisms died, their "remains" sank to the oxygen-deprived seabed. The anoxic environment acted like a natural preservative, preventing decay, and they mixed with sediment, accumulating layer upon layer.

This was the first step: Preparing the Ingredients.

Next, tectonic movements buried these organic-rich "source rocks" deep underground. At depths of several kilometers, temperature and pressure were just right—like a precisely controlled "pressure cooker"—initiating a "slow simmer" lasting millions of years. The organic matter gradually decomposed and transformed into liquid petroleum.

This second step is called: Precise Cooking.

Finally, the most crucial step: Perfect Storage. Once formed, oil migrates upward. Coincidentally, the collision of tectonic plates squeezed the Middle Eastern strata into massive, dome-like "anticline structures," resembling upside-down bowls. Above these "bowls," a layer of dense, impermeable rock acted like a tight-fitting lid. Thus, the oil "brewed" deep underground was trapped in these natural giant "storage tanks," preserved for eons.

So, Middle Eastern oil is the masterpiece of marine plankton, requiring a fertile ancient sea, ideal burial conditions, and a perfectly sealed "storage tank"—all three are indispensable.

The Formation of Coal: An Epic and Tragic Saga of Land Plants

Rewind to the more ancient Carboniferous period, around 300 million years ago. Earth’s atmosphere had extremely high carbon dioxide levels, with a warm, humid climate—a veritable paradise for plants. For the first time, Earth saw vast primordial forests with giant ferns reaching 30–40 meters in height, growing prolifically.

But here, an evolutionary "bug" emerged: these plants developed tough "lignin" to support themselves, yet the bacteria and fungi of that time had not yet evolved the ability to decompose this new substance!

What did this mean? When these towering trees fell en masse, they hardly decayed, much like the pressure-treated wood we use today. Over tens of millions of years, layer upon layer of "timber" accumulated, was buried by sediment, and pressed deep underground. Under high temperature and pressure, they dehydrated and carbonized, eventually forming the coal seams we see today.

Thus, coal is the remains of giant land plants, its formation enabled by a unique historical period—where plant evolution leaped ahead, while decomposers (microbes) lagged behind.

Second Stop: The Mystery of Nuclear Energy—Why Does a Tiny Atomic Nucleus Hold "Primordial Power"?

Having discussed fossil fuels, let’s explore the ultimate energy source harnessed by humans—nuclear energy. Why can a small nuclear bomb release enough energy to destroy an entire city?

The answer lies in Einstein’s famous formula: E = mc².

This equation tells us that mass (m) and energy (E) are two forms of the same thing and can convert into each other. The conversion efficiency is determined by the square of the speed of light (c²)—an astronomical number. This means that even a tiny loss of mass can convert into an immense amount of energy.

In nuclear reactions, precisely this "loss of mass" occurs.

• Atomic Bomb (Fission): An unstable heavy atomic nucleus (like uranium-235), when struck by a neutron, splits into two lighter nuclei. Remarkably, the combined mass of these two new nuclei is slightly less than that of the original heavy nucleus. This "lost" mass instantly converts into vast energy.
• Hydrogen Bomb (Fusion): The opposite process, it "squeezes" two very light atomic nuclei (like hydrogen isotopes) into one heavier nucleus under extreme heat and pressure. Again, the newly formed nucleus is slightly lighter than the sum of the original two. This lost mass also converts into energy, and with even higher efficiency than fission.

This is the essence of nuclear energy: it’s not a chemical reaction like burning coal, but a direct conversion of "mass" to "energy" within the atomic nucleus. Because the coefficient c² is so enormous, nuclear energy is incredibly powerful.

A Tactical Question: Why Are Nuclear Bombs Detonated in the Air?

This is purely for maximizing destructive efficiency.

Imagine if a nuclear bomb exploded on the ground—most energy would go into blasting a huge crater, and the shockwave would be blocked by the ground, traveling only a short distance. But if detonated hundreds of meters in the air, the shockwave radiates downward, reflects off the ground, and combines with subsequent waves, forming a stronger "Mach stem" that sweeps across the surface like a bulldozer. Simultaneously, the fireball in the sky faces no obstruction, allowing light and heat to travel farthest, causing maximum incendiary damage.

So, for leveling a city, an airburst is the optimal choice.

Third Stop: The Crossroads of Civilization—The Division of "East and West" and "Inhuman" Customs

Moving from the physical world to the complexities of human society, we often hear terms like "Western civilization" and "Islamic civilization." But Earth is a sphere—where is the absolute "East" or "West"?

This terminology stems from a Eurocentric historical perspective. During the Age of Exploration, Europeans used themselves as the reference point, naming the "Near East" and "Far East." Later, they viewed their societal model as "advanced" and "modern," while labeling other regions as "traditional" or "backward." Thus, a geographical concept became laden with value judgments.

This leads to a sharper question: For traditions we perceive as "backward, ignorant, and inhuman" (such as honor killings or cannibalism), should we tolerate them in the name of "respecting cultural diversity"?

This is a difficult philosophical choice. If we adhere to absolute "cultural relativism," we cannot condemn any atrocity, as any act could be "justified" within its specific cultural context. This is clearly absurd.

A more tenable stance is: Respect cultural diversity, but uphold universal human rights as a baseline.

• What diversity can be respected? Cuisine, clothing, festivals, art—these are the vibrant expressions of culture that make the world diverse and colorful.
• What "inhuman" acts must be intervened? Any behavior that causes severe, involuntary physical or psychological harm to individuals, such as human sacrifice, forced child marriage, or torture. These violate the most basic rights to life and dignity inherent to being "human," transcending cultural differences.

The true goal is not to "eradicate" a civilization by force, but to promote the internal evolution and demise of harmful practices through education, empowerment, and support for reformist forces within those cultures. After all, no civilization is static.

Journey's End: Returning to Ourselves

From the formation of a drop of oil, to the principles of an atomic bomb, to the clashes and integration of civilizations, we can discern a pattern: Everything we see today is the result of long histories and complex factors interacting.

The depletion of oil may no longer be the primary concern, replaced instead by the energy transition post-"peak demand"; the terrifying balance of nuclear weapons constantly reminds us of the fragility of human reason; and understanding different civilizations tests our wisdom and empathy.

The end of this journey of curiosity brings us back to ourselves. Understanding the world’s complexity helps us shed presumptuous arrogance and embrace more thoughtful reflection. Because we are not merely inhabitants of this planet—we are participants in history and shapers of the future. And all of this begins with a simple yet powerful thought—"Why?"