2) 175 years ago, whale oil was used for illumination and crude oil was dismissed as a curiosity. It was a nuisance for landowners—something that fouled up salt mines near Oil Creek, Pennsylvania. It had no economic usefulness other than as a suboptimal medicinal. 
2/ In L. Frank Baum's 1900 book, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," Dorothy wears "silver shoes." (Hollywood used ruby slippers to showcase Technicolor™). Baum was a Populist and believed reintroducing minting of abundant silver coinage would assist impoverished communities. 
2/ A differentiated product is one that is uniquely different from its competitors, allowing the producer to argue that it is better and potentially charge a higher price for it. A product is a commodity when all units of production are identical, regardless of who produces them. 
2) In the 19th century, renowned economist William Stanley Jevons noted in his seminal book, "The Coal Question," that efficiency improvements in the use of coal in Scotland from 1830–1863 led to an increase in its demand, not a decrease as conventional wisdom would dictate. 
2/ Investigative journalist, Ross Coulthart, recently revealed on Project Unity that one of his sources alleges the reports of Non-Human Intelligence are not extraterrestrial visitors. Rather, he posits they are an advanced Earth civilization that predates our own.
2) In 2009, @HouseDemocrats Henry Waxman and @EdMarkey introduced the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) to promote clean energy and "Smart Grid" demand response. Today, Markey is one of the most vocal critics of #Bitcoin mining demand response. 
2) Counterintuitive solutions are perceived to be a net negative for humanity, but are actually a net positive. They go against conventional wisdom and require humility and open-mindedness to recognize. For example, blood transfusions were banned in the late 17th century. 
2) The ability to robustly secure one’s identity is critical to functioning societies. Without proof of identity, individuals cannot access banking services, gain employment, or receive voting rights. Solving decentralized identity is crucial for individual sovereignty. 
2) Correcting misinformation: When an article contains factual errors or misinformation, it can mislead readers and perpetuate misunderstandings. By writing a letter to the editor, readers can bring attention to these errors and help correct the record.
2) During the 9th century, Taoist alchemists experimented with a highly volatile mixture of elements in their quest for the elixir of life. Dubbed "fire medicine," their mixtures of sulfur and saltpeter inadvertently led to the discovery of gunpowder and changed history forever. 
The @WHOSTP's mission is to "provide the President and his senior staff with accurate, relevant, and timely scientific and technical advice on all matters of consequence; second, to ensure that the policies of the Executive Branch are informed by sound science." 2/ 
