This week, we dive into the fascinating world of coal—its origins, types, and the role it has played in shaping economies, past and present. We discuss coal’s formation in ancient swampy environments, the journey from mining to electricity generation, and the transition we’re witnessing as the world moves toward renewable energy sources. We wrap up with a Fun Paper Friday that challenges the classic "Infinite Monkeys Theorem"—could monkeys really type out Shakespeare if given enough time?
How Coal Forms and Coal Types - World Coal Association (https://www.worldcoal.org/coal/what-coal)
Energy Density of Coal Types - Hypertextbook (https://hypertextbook.com/facts/2003/JuliyaFisher.shtml)
Mining Methods and Processing - National Academies (https://www.nap.edu/read/11977/chapter/5)
Coal Transportation - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) (https://www.eia.gov/coal/transportation/)
Coal’s Role in the Industrial Revolution - History.com (https://www.history.com/topics/industrial-revolution/coal)
Global Coal Power Statistics - Statista (https://www.statista.com/statistics/859266/number-of-coal-power-plants-by-country/)
Future of Coal in Energy Transitions - International Energy Agency (IEA) (https://www.iea.org/topics/coal)
Fun Paper Friday
Can monkeys really type out Shakespeare? This study explores the probability of typing coherent text with a finite number of monkeys and limited time. Spoiler: even with thousands of monkeys, the odds are astronomically low, revealing the true limits of randomness.
Woodcock, Stephen, and Jay Falletta. "A numerical evaluation of the Finite Monkeys Theorem." Franklin Open (2024): 100171. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773186324001014)
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