3-1c2g Often times ordering does matter—some things are easy one way but not the other way around

“It is energetically difficult and expensive to “Oligomerize” (fuse) small chains into big ones. You cannot efficiently run an industrial economy on shale oil alone because you can’t make enough Diesel/Jet fuel without massive waste. It is thermodynamically efficient to “Crack” (break) a long chain into specific smaller pieces. This is why US Coking Refineries are the “Golden Key.” They take the cheapest feedstock (C50+ sludge) and turn it into the most valuable product (C16 Diesel).” – John Doe

Entropy

Related:

• 2-1b2f ‘Equivalence’ - Reality doesn’t care genealogy. Solving problems is what matters. How it’s done matters less.
• 5-3c Knowledge is irreversible, and can only go from private to public
• 9-2a3b0 Imagine what happens when it goes wrong—think first of the downside instead of the upside