"While giving a lecture on technology innovation, I had a moment where I thought I should write down a poem I recited on the spot."
As the clamor I had been stirring quieted down,
And all expectations settled into silence,
Something quietly began to sprout anew.
Crossing the frozen Jordan in the dead of winter,
One must be able to smell the earth of March
So that you too can grow into a towering tree."
In the 17th century, they started using oil from sperm whales to make candles that were harder and smelled less when burning.
They also made candles from cow fat, and in Korea, common people used oil from perilla seeds and cotton wicks for their lanterns.
It wasn't until the 1800s that candles made from paraffin, a byproduct of refining petroleum, became available. These candles produced less soot and smell.
Humans have spent thousands of years trying to find and use the right hydrocarbons.
Improvements were made to fit the situation and level of technology at the time.
However...
No matter how much you improve a candle, it can't become a filament light bulb.
And no matter how much you improve a filament light bulb, it can't become a fluorescent light.
And no matter how much you improve a fluorescent light, it can't become an LED light."