Original 2021 statement: The world of science will have taken us from 19 million known chemical substances today to 5 billion by 2100 - and this will lead to the birth of countless new billion-dollar industries
What Jim has written about this
From “The Amazing Math of Chemical Acceleration - And Why a Saudi Oil Giant is Realigning Its Business!” (November 2016)
Why would one of the world’s largest oil companies shift to a new focus on the chemical industry as their key opportunity? One reason is that the math, and hence the scope of the opportunity, is so overwhelming. (The other being that in a world awash in oil, energy is no longer a growth industry. So after the world gets flat, you put a ripple in it!)
”…The number of known chemical substances has been growing exponentially since 1800, from some hundreds then to about 19 million today…”
19 billion known chemical substances to 5 billion? That’s a pretty exponential change…
From “Daily Inspiration: “If you weren’t paying attention in chemistry class, you d better start paying attention now!”” (March 2023)
I will admit that I never really considered the work that he did to be tremendously exciting or important; as a young child, it wasn’t like a lawyer, a doctor, or a banker. Those were exciting professions! And yet today, I look at the world of chemical science to be one of the most exciting - and far-reaching - aspects of our future. That’s because we are going from 25 million known chemical substances today to over 1 billion by the year 2100. As science accelerates, we are discovering fascinating new materials which promise to revolutionize what we build, how we build it, and what it is we can actually build. This new era promises an era of big, bold thinking as to what is possible, changing every industry from automotive to aerospace, consumer products to packaging, and more. It’s a revolution in the making!
”…The number of known chemical substances has been growing exponentially since 1800, from some hundreds then to about 19 million today…”
19 billion known chemical substances to 5 billion? That’s a pretty exponential change…
Read the full pieces on jimcarroll.com:
The Amazing Math of Chemical Acceleration - And Why a Saudi Oil Giant is Realigning Its Business!
Daily Inspiration: “If you weren’t paying attention in chemistry class, you d better start paying attention now!”