Reading the history of science and technology, one is struck by how important two branches of physics are: electricity and magnetism, and thermodynamics. The former is mostly how we conveniently pipe energy around. The latter is …. how we get the energy in the first place, as well as making most of chemistry possible. Even humble inventions such as the small electric motor had enormous implications in how things get done. Before the invention of small electric motors, for example, machine shops ...