The History of Iron and Steel with Jason Crawford

Metallic iron was once the stuff of myth, known only in the form of meteorites. Today, in the hardened form of steel, iron is everywhere. What is this metal that is so indispensable to the modern world? Why is it so hard to make? And how did it go from mythical to mundane? This talk will explore the challenges of ironmaking and the solutions humanity has found over the centuries, including the famous Bessemer process that was a watershed of the Industrial Revolution. Jason Crawford is a software engineering manager, former co-founder & CEO of the startup Fieldbook, and author of the blog “The Roots of Progress”, where he's been writing about the history of technology and industry since 2017. Apply to SPC: https://www.southparkcommons.com/apply